US Coast Guard awards Shield AI a $198M contract for V-BAT surveillance services

Shield AI/V-BAT

The US Coast Guard selected Shield AI for an indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $198 million in which the company owns and operates V-BAT drones flying surveillance from cutters. V-BAT takes off and lands vertically, enabling operations from small ship decks without a runway.

• Contract value $198,106,876 for contractor-owned, contractor-operated ISR services
• V-BAT the only operationally deployed single-engine ducted-fan VTOL UAS that launches, recovers from hover and flies on wing
• V-BAT has over five years of persistent operational experience at sea with US and international customers
• System capable of Group 2 to Group 5 UAS missions and beyond, providing flexible platform for maritime surveillance