A short video shows the aircraft inside a hangar, revealing its broad wings, grey digital camouflage and prominent engine exhaust. The aircraft wears markings reading X-BAT 001 and Powered by Hivemind, identifying the vehicle and the autonomy software intended to fly it. Its sharply swept wings blend into a substantial central body, with no cockpit or canopy, and panel boundaries and fasteners are visible in closer views, alongside a broad, mouth-like opening beneath the forward body that appears to form the aircraft's intake.
Despite being designed to take off and land vertically from a tail-sitting position, X-BAT 001 is shown resting horizontally on ground supports, and Shield AI has not explained that presentation; the footage does not show the aircraft being raised into its launch position or demonstrate its landing arrangement. The video gives particular attention to the rear, including close-ups of a circular exhaust nozzle with overlapping metallic petals, an assembly that appears consistent with the GE F110 propulsion system selected for X-BAT: the F110-GE-129E combined with GE's Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle, or AVEN, which redirects engine thrust to provide the control needed for vertical flight. In July, the companies announced successful integration, actuation and engine light-off testing at GE's Peebles facility in Ohio. Shield AI's latest published schedule calls for flight testing to begin before the end of 2026, and its October update said flight-test aircraft were under construction and weapons-bay aerodynamics had been evaluated in low- and high-speed wind-tunnel tests. Aerospace Global News has asked Shield AI to confirm the vehicle's status and configuration and is awaiting comment.