“The wingspan of the X-bat is almost 12 meters, the length is about 8 meters.”, — write: www.unian.ua
The wingspan of the X-bat is almost 12 meters, the length is about 8 meters.
The USA showed the texting of a jet drone with a vertical launch / UNIAN collage, screenshot, photo Shield AIThe American company Shield AI demonstrated its new development – a prototype of the X-bat jet fighter drone, which, like the reconnaissance V-Bat, does not need an airstrip. As Defense Express writes, unlike the concept, the X-bat is already prepared for the first flight — it is a real lethal vehicle, and not just an idea on paper.
According to analysts, Shield AI is known for its V-Bat reconnaissance drone with vertical takeoff and landing, which has been secretly tested in Ukraine and has already ordered the first batches for the needs of our unmanned systems units. Because of this, X-bat may also interest the Ukrainian side as the next stage — from intelligence to strike autonomy.
The X-bat has a vertical take-off and landing using a single jet engine with a variable thrust vector. It takes off and lands on the same launch pad mounted on the chassis of a regular trailer.
“At the same time, take-off and landing are performed on a single jet engine with a variable thrust vector. And this, of course, requires extremely high control accuracy, which is simply physically unavailable to humans. Such a solution should generally ensure extremely high mobility of the X-bat, which can be deployed very quickly virtually anywhere. And a big bet has been made on this, because even to simplify transportation, the wings of the X-bat can be folded,” – says publications
Large X-bat: wingspan 11.8 m, length 7.9 m. Announced characteristics include a flight range of more than 3,700 km, a maximum altitude of up to 15 km and the ability to maneuver with a load of more than 4 g. The wing folds for easy transport, which emphasizes the idea of high mobility – the X-bat can be quickly deployed “almost anywhere”.
The equipment includes a carrier of two AIM-120 air-to-air missiles or two bombs in internal compartments. The possibility of hanging large-sized ammunition, such as cruise missiles, on external points is also declared. On the front part of the wing and near the air intake, advanced PEP/REB and radio electronic intelligence sensors are placed; the issue of the presence or characteristics of the radar was not publicly emphasized.
“The take-off weight is not mentioned, and the clarification that it belongs to the fifth group of UAVs according to the NATO classification does not give much, because these are all drones with a take-off weight of more than 600 kg. But it is obvious that we are talking about a very heavy UAV, in fact it is really an unmanned fighter,” experts note.
The key “strength” of X-bat is the digital part. Shield AI is developing combat AI Hivemind, which provides mission autonomy, operation without continuous communication, without satellite navigation and minimal human intervention. It is thanks to such algorithms that it is possible to perform precise vertical launches, integrated navigation and autonomous execution of complex combat tasks.
X-bat takes about 1.5 years to develop; the first flights are planned for 2026, readiness for operation is expected by 2028. At the same time, it is obvious, say analysts, that the company performs these works together with a powerful partner.
It is said that in order to realize the idea with an engine with a thrust vector, the company will have to work closely with large manufacturers of aircraft engines – for example, Pratt & Whitney or General Electric, which must bring the engine to a serial state. Without a reliable engine with a fully controllable thrust vector, the concept of vertical landing loses its meaning.
“Without this engine, the entire concept of the X-bat crumbles like a house of cards. Because only it will be able to ensure a vertical landing. At the same time, this whole idea is primarily needed, again, for combat operations in the Pacific Ocean. Because the X-bat can be placed on small islands where there are no runways. And it can also be launched directly from ordinary ships, not just aircraft carriers,” experts explain.
Other novelties from the world of weapons – what you need to knowIt will be recalled that the Ukrainian company “General Chereshnya” completed the testing of the new Bullet anti-aircraft drone, which was developed specifically for the destruction of Shahed-type drones. It can accelerate up to 309 km/h. The tool was developed in a very short time, the developers combined existing aerodynamic solutions and modern software. One of the versions of the drone provides for the presence of a homing system, which will reduce the dependence of the effectiveness of using the Bullet on the skill of the operator.
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