UPDATE: The Dutch V-BAT order

The Netherlands selected the V-BAT drone from Shield AI in July 2025. The country’s navy has now released an update on the rapidly progressing programme. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on March 19, 2026. 

The Dutch V-BAT order appears to have been increased to 12 drones over the original eight, according to a March 17 article from the country’s MoD. As originally reported, the Netherlands procured eight V-BATs for its navy and marines. 

“After extensive testing, the Navy has purchased 12 V-BAT drones,” the release states, adding they will carry cameras and radar. In addition, eight Dutch vessels are being fitted with the control equipment for the V-BAT. The procurement is made through a NATO framework, which allows rapid delivery. 

Shield AI states that its drones can be fitted with synthetic aperture radar – a valuable tool in maritime domain awareness. This is because optical sights can be impacted by weather, and may have a limited field of view. Synthetic aperture radar can take huge snapshots, however, giving an overview of a larger area.

• V-BAT drone selected by Netherlands – Calibre Defence 
• India picks V-Bat and Hivemind from Shield AI – Calibre Defence

V-BAT was put to work by the Dutch Navy, flying from the ship Johan de Witt during Exercise Cold Response. Cold Response technically ran from March 9 – 19 in Norway. It was the drone’s first operational test for the Dutch and it validated its performance in different conditions. 

Cold Response came after NATO’s HEIMDALL 26 exercise, which was also held in Norway in February. V-BAT was deployed by the Norwegian armed forces during HEIMDALL, demonstrating its cold weather performance.

Extreme cold can ruin a drone’s performance, especially those reliant on batteries. So, V-BAT’s performance in both exercises would have been an important point of validation for NATO. 

Calibre comment: The Dutch modernisation

The Dutch armed forces are on a determined and focused modernisation pathway. Several of its procurements precede the war in Ukraine, like the CV90 modernisation, but the country has placed many orders since 2022. This includes brand new capabilities, like procurement of an ICEYE satellite constellation for ISR. Or its anti-submarine warfare frigates being built in partnership with Belgium.

• ICEYE to bolster Dutch space-based ISR with new SAR satellites – Calibre Defence 
• Dutch/Belgian Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates to carry Ultra sonar – Calibre Defence 
• Alutech Littoral Assault Craft to enable Dutch Marine raids – Calibre Defence 

The maritime domain is seen as very important, marked by procurement of new assault craft for the Dutch marines. It is understood that the country will continue its cooperation with the UK’s Royal Marines. Working together, the marine forces hope to stretch Russian capabilities in the Arctic, and improve NATO’s ability to respond to incursions there. 

Overall, the Dutch modernisation is encouraging and the V-BAT update indicates that it is progressing at a fast pace. 

The lead image shows a V-BAT on a Dutch naval vessel. Credit: Netherlands Ministry of Defence.