January 29, 2026V-BAT / Photo credit: Shield AIV-BAT drones from Shield AI are a striking example of combat-proven weaponry, as they were tested in UkraineAmerican private defense company Shield AI announced that India has chosen their V-BAT drone for its military. V-BAT / Photo credit: Shield AIThis move is logical and expected, given that as early as the fall of 2024 it became known that India’s JSW Group and U.S. Shield AI had established a joint venture as part of plans to localize V-BAT drone production in India. In 2024, Shield AI disclosed that V-BAT drones had been covertly tested in Ukraine, demonstrating resilience to electronic warfare and assisting in the detection of russian surface-to-air missile systems. V-BAT armed with L-MDM guided missiles / Render credit: Shield AIAs for the V-BAT, it has recently been announced that Shield AI has partnered with South Korea’s LIG Nex1, under which V-BAT drones will be equipped with the new L-MDM guided missiles. It is unknown whether this option will be available for India, but it demonstrates that Shield AI is open to collaborations to create interesting combinations of their drone with other companies’ developments.