Poland orders Shield AI’s V-BAT drones for naval operations

June 24, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

Poland’s Armament Agency has signed a contract with Shield AI for the acquisition of V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) intended to support Polish Navy operations.

The V-BAT force will be deployed aboard a Polish Navy vessel to provide maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support.

This added capability gives the Polish military an unmanned support system that improves commanders’ visibility of activity and threats.

The UAS features a ducted-fan design and has more than 12 hours of endurance and a heavy-fuel engine.

Designed, tested, and deployed for contested electronic warfare environments, V-BAT delivers ISR and targeting capability at significantly lower logistical burden than larger NATO Class II and III systems.

Its single-engine, enclosed-rotor design enables safe, unassisted launch and recovery from ship decks, urban rooftops, and austere environments, making it particularly effective for maritime and expeditionary operations, according to Shield AI.

“V-BAT has proven its capabilities in Ukraine and beyond, particularly in environments where communications and GPS links are disrupted or denied. Operations in the Baltic Sea, where security threats against critical energy and communications infrastructure are becoming more frequent, demand reliable sensor platforms and systems in all weather conditions and sea states. V-BAT delivers exactly that, and will serve as a force multiplier for Poland, Baltic Sea nations, and NATO,” said Ryan Tseng, Shield AI’s president, co-founder, and chief strategy officer.

To remind, in April this year, Shield AI was selected by the US Navy to provide contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services in support of naval and joint force operations.