V-BAT drone selected by Netherlands

The V-BAT vertical take-off and landing uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) has been selected by the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) to equip the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines, according to a July 9th press release from manufacturer, Shield AI. 

The Netherlands is procuring eight V-BATs, and the selection of the system follows a month-long flight trial during the NATO REPMUS 2024 exercise, during which a V-BAT was stationed onboard the HNLMS Johan de Witt, the press release explains. 

It adds that the UAV’s performance in Ukraine, where it is reportedly able to operate without the need for satellite navigation systems, was a further decisive factor in the Dutch MoD’s selection. The Netherlands will join Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force and the US Marine Corps (USMC) as operational users of the platform. Japan placed its order in late 2024 and deliveries are expected in the course of 2025, and the USMC has deployed V-BATs with its Marine Expeditionary Units. 

Greece is also a user of the system, having received its first V-BAT in May of this year. The UAV has also been used in Ukraine since August 2024 to conduct ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) operations behind the Russian front line and to assist with targeting from long-range systems like the M142 HIMARS. It was used by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces and led to Shield AI delivering four additional systems. The total number in Ukrainian service is unknown, but the company did state that 130 sorties had been completed in April this year.

Tech profile: V-BAT

The V-BAT is a vertical take-off and landing UAV that is designed to offer the capabilities of larger UAVs – like an MQ-9 – within a smaller logistics footprint. It is an unusual design with the drone launched vertically and levelling out to fly horizontally once airborne. It uses a ducted fan for propulsion, which is a type of propulsion system that consists of a fan or propeller mounted within a cylindrical duct or shroud. Unlike traditional exposed propellers, the duct surrounds the blades and serves to reduce aerodynamic losses by minimizing tip vortices – swirling air at the propeller blade tips – which can happen with open propellers. This means that a smaller fan can provide greater thrust than its size would allow with an open configuration. It also means that the V-BAT can take-off from the helicopter landing pad at the back of a naval vessel, the Jump 20-X from AeroVironment (now known as AV) can also be used in this role, but employs four propellers in combination with a fixed wing design. 

It can be controlled using a variety of means including SATCOM for over the horizon operation, and is compatible with Shield AI’s Hivemind, an AI-enabled swarm control system. As is standard for many UAVs in its class, the V-BAT is compatible with a range of sensors including synthetic aperture radar and the ViDAR electro-optical suite from Shield AI, which uses AI for object recognition. It can detect objects that are as small as 2×2 pixels, and is five times more sensitive than a human observer, according to Shield AI. The UAV can also be equipped with munitions like the Hatchet miniature precision strike munition from Northrop Grumman. Hatchet is claimed to have between 45 and 80% of the lethality of a 250 kg weapon, despite carrying only a 1.42 kg warhead. This is presumably derived from its accuracy and adaptive fuze. 

Airframe

• Height: 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
• Wing Span: 9.6 ft (2.9 m)
• Max Gross Takeoff Weight: 161 lbs (73 kg)

Propulsion

• Heavy Fuel Engine (JP5)

Operating Performance

• Max Endurance: 13+ hrs (with EO/IR payload)
• Max Payload Capacity: 40 lbs (18.1 kg)
• Max Range (MPU5): 81 mi (130 km)
• Max Range (C-Band Radio): 112 mi (180 km)
• Landing Zone: 15 ft x 15 ft (4.6 m x 4.6 m)

Calibre comment

It is worth noting that many western companies that have provided UAVs to Ukraine state that their systems operate well there despite Russian jamming. But there are a growing number of voices, like James Acuna from Baltic Ghost Wing, who criticise these statements and report that a lot of Western equipment does not work as advertised in Ukraine. This has led to a lack of certainty around deployments to Ukraine, with some reports indicating that operator error is to blame, and others insisting that western companies are not listening to Ukrainian users. This is not to say that Shield AI is one of those companies, its products have received positive coverage from Ukrainian defence news outlets, Defence Blog, Defence Express, and Militarnyi, indicating that V-BAT performs well in the conflict. But it does indicate that the badge “proven in Ukraine” may not always be as valuable as some would like to think. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on 10th July, 2025. The credit for the lead image is Shield AI. It shows, from left to right, Ryan Tseng, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Shield AI; Vice Adm. René Tas, commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy; Vice Adm. Jan Willem Hartman, Netherlands national armaments director and commander of the Materiel and IT Command (CommIT); and Commodore Frank Lenssen, director of operations, Royal Netherlands Navy.