Shield AI Announces Partnership To Build V-BAT Drones In India
Shield AI has announced a strategic partnership with Indian defense company JSW Defence Pvt. Ltd. to build Shield’s V-BAT unmanned aerial systems in India, with components for the drones also to be made in India.
The partnership will see the JSW group invest $90 million over the course of the next two years. $65 million will be spent over the first 12 months to establish JSW’s “global compliance program”, building a manufacturing facility to ensure proper technology licensing, and training of manpower.
According to Shield AI, this will allow the creation of a local supply chain in addition to an assembly facility for the V-BAT, with the production facility planned to be a global production hub for the drones, including any possible orders for the Indian military.
The vertical-takeoff-and-landing V-BAT is primarily used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance by multiple users including the United States Marine Corps and the Ukrainian military. Shield AI also uses the V-BAT for its experimentation with swarming autonomy.
Parth Jindal of JSW Group said, “Our collaboration with Shield AI is in keeping with our commitment to induct mission-critical technologies for deployment by the Indian Armed Forces and play an integral role in indigenizing defense technology in India. Through this partnership, we will be able to supply indigenous V-BATs at scale, provide flight operator training, and end-to-end maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO) services to the Indian Armed Forces. The JSW Group has always believed in bringing world class products and services with State-of-the-Art technology into India and this partnership is yet another milestone in this journey.”
“Shield AI is excited to enhance the Indo-US strategic partnership through collaboration with JSW Group, strengthening our commitment to deploy cutting-edge UAS technology globally and harness India’s vast engineering and manufacturing talent. India, designated as a Major Defense Partner by the United States in 2016 and elevated to Strategic Trade Authorization tier 1 status in 2018, is one of only two countries with this designation—the other being the UAE, where Shield AI also has offices,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s president and co-founder.
“JSW recognizes the same thing Shield AI does: that Group 3 UAS drones like the V-BAT can accomplish the same missions as many helicopters and larger Group 5 UAS drones for a fraction of the price. As the market shifts from expensive, exquisite aircraft to swarms of lower-cost, AI-piloted UAS drones, this collaboration builds upon Shield AI’s significant U.S. investments, enhances global distribution, and supports continued expansion of U.S. operations.”