Shield AI to build AI fighter jet, add 4,000 jobs near Seattle
Shield AI is setting up a huge aerospace manufacturing site near Seattle to produce the X-BAT, an AI-controlled fighter jet designed for vertical takeoff and landing. The company plans to finish its first 420,000-square-foot facility next spring and expects to employ around 4,000 people locally by the early 2030s. They aim to deliver the first X-BAT units from the new site in 2028 and ramp up to about 150 jets a year.
- Shield AI picked Seattle area over a dozen locations
- X-BAT is a 26-foot long, AI-piloted strike jet
- Facility completion expected in spring next year
- First jets planned for 2028 delivery
- Goal: 150 aircraft produced each year by 2030s
Sources covering this
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