Shield AI has revealed a new artificial intelligence-driven uncrewed fighter capable of vertical takeoffs and landings that it says could represent the next generation of military combat aircraft and an advancement in the drone wingmen concept.

The drone, dubbed X-BAT, was designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments. It uses Shield AI’s Hivemind software as its autonomous core, the company said in a Wednesday release.

Shield AI said X-BAT’s ability to deliver combat capability while taking off and landing vertically, independent of any need for runways, could transform the way U.S. and allied air forces wage air warfare.

“Airpower without runways is the holy grail of deterrence,” Shield AI co-founder and president Brandon Tseng said in the statement.

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