US Navy bets another $150M on fighter drone that skips the runway

American defense biz Shield AI says combined US government funding and its own investment commitments have reached $400 million to advance its autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fighter drone toward flight testing. The X-BAT aircraft was unveiled at an event in Washington DC last year for an audience of military leaders. According to Shield AI, the US Navy has committed an additional $150 million on top of earlier funding for the project.