Shield

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He helped bring the Typhoon into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Now he leads X-BAT in Europe. Andrew "Geeky" Hawkes flew the Typhoon in operations over Libya and later taught the RAF's weapons course. That experience shapes what he wants for our European partners: autonomous strike capability and the range to rely less on tankers. Full interview with Andrew Hawkes MSc in comments. Catch him at Defence iQ's IFC next week for X-BAT's latest developments. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

The 2026 American Dynamism 50 is here: our annual list of 50 companies, from within the a16z portfolio and beyond, building for America's future. This year's theme is Production is Deterrence. "America's ability to prevent conflict depends on what it can build, how fast it can deliver, and how long it can keep going." A new generation of defense companies is moving from prototypes to full-scale production, and the industrial base has to keep pace. This year's list is organized around three pillars: 1. Systems: the drones, ships, missiles, aircraft, and spacecraft that deter conflict. 2. Factories: the plants, tools, and software that build them. 3. Inputs: the materials and power they're made of and run on. Get all three right, and the impact reaches well beyond defense, to skilled jobs, revitalized communities, and the supply chains behind energy, housing, and everyday goods. Meet all 50, linked in the comments.

Autonomy software is never finished. Threats change, and so do missions. We signed an agreement with Leonardo to expand autonomy on the Proteus uncrewed helicopter with Hivemind Enterprise. Missions include ISR, submarine hunting, and cargo runs in contested areas. Their team builds, tests, and updates the software as environments evolve. Full release in comments. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

Readiness starts with rehearsal. This year we brought Aechelon into Shield. Its simulation platform is used across the U.S. and allied militaries, giving human and autonomous pilots one environment to train for the same mission without putting lives on the line. In National Defense Magazine, our president and co-founder Brandon Tseng explains how simulation closes a critical gap for military training: bit.ly/4zYabth Continue the conversation with us at Interservice / Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference in Orlando, Booth 1301. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

Hivemind + RBAT: sovereign maritime autonomy on Qatari USVs At Milipol Qatar 2026, we signed an MoU with Rheinmetall Barzan Advanced Technologies QSTP-LLC to explore integrating Hivemind on their Qatari-designed USVs for ISR missions and coordinated teaming across Qatar's coastal waters. The collaboration builds on Qatar's sovereign maritime capability, combining RBAT's local engineering expertise with Hivemind mission autonomy. Full release in comments. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

X-BAT is teaming up with Raytheon on RF mission systems. X-BAT, the world's first autonomous VTOL fighter jet, takes off without a runway and flies without a pilot. We're working with Raytheon's Advanced Technology team on the radio frequency (RF) sensing and electronic warfare systems it needs to find targets and survive in contested airspace. More to come. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

X-BAT is closer than you think. At last year’s IFC, we unveiled X-BAT to industry. This year, we’re back with development updates as we approach flight testing. Fighter-class payload and range. Hivemind mission autonomy. Runway independence. Get the latest at Defence iQ’s International Fighter Conference, Booth 3. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.

Come see us at SOFEX Jordan 2026, Booth #H115. We'll be there with V-BAT for expeditionary ISR, Hivemind for mission autonomy in contested environments, ViDAR for passive wide-area search, and Tracker C-UAS for air threat detection without radar or RF emissions. Autonomy for the world. The greatest victory requires no war.