Greece orders more V-BAT UAVs
Scale model of V-BAT on display at UMEX 2026 (Janes/Samuel Vivek Williams)
Greece's Hellenic Army has ordered US company Shield AI's V-BAT unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in the Aegean Sea area.
No quantities or contract value were disclosed.Shield AI said the order includes a multi-year service, training, and maintenance contract, and that it will open an office in Athens. The company said it also plans to invest in Greece's defence sector, including by offering its Hivemind autonomy software
According to a 2 June 2026 press release from Shield AI the V-BATs will “support maritime domain awareness operations across the Aegean Sea.”
The V-BAT is 2.9 m tall, with a 3.8 m wingspan. It has a maximum payload of 18 kg, a maximum speed of 157 km/h, and an endurance of up to 13 hours with an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payload. It can be reconfigured for combat and strike missions. In Ukraine, the V-BAT is used to carry out lSR without reliance on satellite navigation systems such as GPS, according to Shield AI.
James Lythgoe, Shield Al eastern & southern Europe director said in the release that “V-BAT is exceptionally suited for Greece where forces operate across dispersed islands, remote coastlines, deep valleys, mountain ranges and complex maritime environments.”
It can take off from a 5m² area such as a deck or clearing. The V-BAT is a NATO Class 1 VTOL using a a ducted fan design. A heavy fuel (JP5) single-rotor enclosed engine allows for unassisted launch from environments such as rooftops and ships' decks. It employs electro-optical (EO) and medium wavelength infrared (MWlR) cameras.
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