Greece Will Become a Hub for Repair, Maintenance, and Training for X-BAT Drones

The American company Shield AI and the Greek investment and infrastructure holding company GEK TERNA have signed an agreement to establish an industrial base in Greece to integrate and service the advanced X-BAT unmanned fighter jets.

According to Shield AI, the agreement provides for localizing component production, creating training and repair centers, and developing ground infrastructure.

The X-BAT unmanned strike fighter is designed as a heavy autonomous aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing.

This design makes the drone independent of runways and capable of operating from ships or remote islands.

The aircraft’s powerplant is based on GE Aerospace’s F110 aircraft engine. The drone has internal weapon bays comparable in volume to those of the F-35 fighter jet and can carry up to 900 kg of munitions.

Its tactical and technical specifications provide for a combat radius of over 1,850 km.

The aircraft’s design is intended to integrate power-intensive electronic warfare systems, along with onboard reconnaissance and surveillance systems.

Flight autonomy is provided by artificial intelligence based on Shield AI’s Hivemind software.

This system allows the drone to perform combat missions and navigate in challenging conditions without relying on GPS satellite navigation or communicating with the operator.

For Greece, which defends hundreds of islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, procuring and localizing such aircraft would allow it to maintain strike capabilities even if key airfields are destroyed.

The partnership also involves engaging Greek companies and research institutions to produce spare parts and provide maintenance services for countries in the region.

Initial flight tests of the X-BAT unmanned fighter jet are scheduled for the end of this year.