Shield AI and General Electric revealed a substantially redesigned X-BAT autonomous combat drone at Sea-Air-Space 2026. The original cranked kite planform has been replaced with a swept arrowhead wing optimized for higher speed flight and a 1,000 nautical mile combat radius. Power comes from a GE F110 turbofan, the same engine family behind F-16s and F-15s. For vertical flight, the engine is paired with an axisymmetric vectoring exhaust nozzle sourced from a 1990s thrust vectoring F-16 test program. Engine testing on GE stands is already underway. Shield AI plans to assemble the prototype this summer in Frisco, Texas, then progress through ground runs, tethered hover, and free VTOL flights before the end of 2026. The companies say they expect to lose at least one airframe in testing. Zero failures would mean the program is moving too slowly.

X-BAT carries two internal weapon bays sized to fit any store compatible with an F-35, plus two plumbed external hardpoints that can support buddy refueling pods. Shield AI positions the platform at roughly one tenth the lifecycle cost of a fifth or sixth generation crewed fighter. Open architecture allows sensors and electronic warfare packages to be swapped between missions. The companies say they are leveraging sixth generation systems developed under NGAD for the EW suite.

Saildrone unveiled Spectre at Sea-Air-Space 2026, a 52 meter medium USV with diesel/electric propulsion capable of ultra quiet operations at up to 12 knots and a top speed of 27 knots. Range is rated at 3,280 nautical miles in flat water with a 25,000 kg payload capacity. Planned payloads include Lockheed Martin's Mk-70 containerized VLS and Thales CAPTAS-4 variable depth sonar for ASW. Two variants are planned: one with a sail for endurance and one without for a reduced 2 meter profile in strike roles. Fincantieri Marinette Marine will build the vessels at its Green Bay, Wisconsin facility at a rate of roughly five per year and approximately $40 million per unit. Long lead materials were ordered in October 2025, tow tank testing with a 1/7th scale model is complete, and first article sea trials are targeted for early 2027.

Tiberius Aerospace completed the first known live fire of a liquid fuelled ramjet projectile from a NATO standard 155mm howitzer, with the Sceptre round achieving ramjet ignition in flight after surviving launch forces of roughly 18,000 g. Sceptre is designed for a range of 150 km at approximately Mach 3.5, operating above 65,000 feet and delivering a 5.2 kg payload with a CEP under five meters in GPS contested environments. The round runs on JP-4 or JP-8, requires no modifications to existing artillery platforms, and uses a modular open architecture. No contracts have been disclosed. Tiberius positions the round as bridging the gap between expensive missile systems and range limited conventional artillery, with a design intended for licensed production by allied nations.

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