The U.S. defense company Shield AI has demonstrated that its V-BAT unmanned aerial vehicles can operate in harsh Arctic conditions. Their ability to operate in the region was demonstrated during the HEIMDALL exercises, which took place in Norway from February 17 to 26. The drones were launched both from land and from small ships.
"The exercise served as an opportunity to validate V-BAT's ability to operate in extreme cold and maritime conditions without aircraft modifications," Shiled AI noted. This indicates that NATO has an effective reconnaissance tool that can track russia's actions in the Arctic if necessary as well as has been tested in challenging combat conditions in Ukraine.
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The company's president and co-founder, retired Marine Brandon Tseng, emphasized that V-BAT drone "provides a dependable capability to support maritime and amphibious missions."
During the exercises, V-BAT operated from the KV Olav Tryggvason patrol vessel. The drone was used as a reconnaissance and surveillance node within NATO's multi-domain architecture. The drone operated both day and night.
Shield AI notes that operating drones in harsh Arctic conditions can be challenging, particularly in the maritime environment. Such training is considered important given russia's growing military presence in the region.
Shield AI MQ-35A V-BAT is a vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance drone. The project attracted the attention of the U.S. Navy, which in 2021 awarded the company a contract to develop and build a prototype.
The V-BAT drone was covertly tested in Ukraine for the United States, where it performed well. In addition to the U.S. and Ukraine, Brazil, India, Japan, the Netherlands, and Greece have also ordered V-BATs. Beyond reconnaissance roles, V-BATs have been fitted with South Korean-made guided missiles capable of engaging ground targets.
The V-BAT is 3.8 m long and has a wingspan of 2.9 m. It weighs 73 kg, has a top speed of 90 km/h, an endurance of over 13 hours, and a maximum operating altitude of 5,500 meters. V-BAT can be ready for deployment in 30 minutes with a crew of two people. The drone can be transported in folded form in a pickup truck or UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.
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