Shield AI names Kansas and Washington the flight test and production homes of X-BAT

Building and testing the aircraft in the two states is projected to support about 9,800 American jobs by the early 2030s and add roughly $78 billion to the Newton and Seattle economies through 2046.

NEWTON, Kan. and DES MOINES, Wash., Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shield AI today named the two sites that will build and test X-BAT, its AI-piloted fighter jet designed to take off and land vertically. X-Forge 2, at the Newton City-County Airport in Kansas, is the flight test and sustainment home for the aircraft. X-Forge 3, based in Des Moines, Washington, just south of Seattle, is the production home. Together with X-Forge 1 in Frisco, Texas, the three sites carry X-BAT from prototype through delivery and through the life of the fleet.

Every X-BAT will complete production acceptance testing in Newton before delivery, and customers will conduct their own acceptance flights there. Newton will also support development flight testing and serve as the center for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for the fleet. Shield AI currently leases hangar and office space and approximately 10 acres at Newton City/County Airport and is working with the City of Newton and Harvey County to expand its footprint and develop a larger hangar.

South-central Kansas has built aircraft since the 1920s, and its training pipeline runs through Wichita State University, WSU Tech, the National Center for Aviation Training and Hutchinson Community College. Shield AI committed to Newton in 2025, when it first showed the X-BAT design to the public, and has been standing the site up since.

In Des Moines, Shield AI has signed its lease and is building the site out now. Hiring for the program has shifted to the region and is underway. Des Moines is the company's first Puget Sound site, and Shield AI expects its footprint in the region to grow as production rates climb. King County has more than 45,000 aerospace workers at more than 400 companies, and Washington's supplier base runs past 1,500 firms. Shield AI evaluated several regions and chose Washington for that workforce.

"Both these regions were building airplanes before Shield AI existed, and we went to them for that reason," said Armor Harris, senior vice president of aircraft at Shield AI. "Wichita's track record speaks for itself, with more than a hundred years of aircraft manufacturing and more than a third of all American general aviation airplanes built there. Flight test is where an airplane earns its way, and Kansas has the airspace, the hangars and the people who have spent their careers around airplanes. Puget Sound has been producing aircraft at rate for seventy years and has the engineers, technicians and suppliers that takes. X-BAT will be built in Washington and fly in Kansas before it goes to a customer, and Kansas will keep this fleet in the air for decades."

X-BAT is planned to enter production in 2029 and reach full rate in the early 2030s. An economic analysis of the program estimates what each region gains if it runs as planned, and the employment projections reflect the program at rate. In the Newton area, X-BAT supports about 1,800 jobs in the early 2030s and about 2,900 by 2046, adding roughly $5 billion to the regional economy over that period. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region, it supports about 8,000 jobs in the early 2030s and about 27,000 by 2046, adding roughly $73 billion. The counts include people employed by Shield AI, people at suppliers, and the jobs that local spending by both groups sustains.

Frisco, Texas remains Shield AI's prototyping site and the home of V-BAT, and the company continues to build, operate and hire there. The analysis puts Frisco alone at about 600 jobs in the early 2030s and about 700 by 2046. Texas suppliers carry much of the rest of the program, including propulsion and mission systems work. Across the state, X-BAT is projected to support about 1,400 jobs in the early 2030s and about 7,900 by 2046, adding roughly $18.6 billion to the Texas economy.

Additional Quotes

Kansas
"Shield AI's decision to base maintenance, repair and overhaul and sustainment operations for its X-BAT aircraft in Newton is great news for our state," said Senator Jerry Moran. "Keeping advanced aircraft mission-ready is critical to our national security, and Kansas' long history in aviation makes our state a natural home for this work. Our aviation workforce and training institutions are ready to support this mission. I am confident this partnership will grow in the years ahead as we help make certain our warfighters have the capabilities they need, when they need them."

"Kansans have been building and flying airplanes for more than a hundred years, and Shield AI came to Newton because nobody does it better," said Senator Roger Marshall. "Every U.S.-built X-BAT will earn its wings in Kansas skies before it is delivered to a customer, and thousands of Kansas workers will help keep the fleet flying for decades. That's good news for our workforce and for our warfighters."

"As the representative of the Air Capital of the World, I take great pride in the Kansans who have been building and flying airplanes for more than a century," said Congressman Ron Estes. "Shield AI chose Newton as the flight test and sustainment home for X-BAT because of that experience. Every X-BAT will fly in Kansas before it goes into service, and the work to keep this fleet flying will happen here for years to come. Expanding their presence in Newton means good-paying jobs for Kansans and a lasting role for our state in America's national security. I look forward to seeing this program continue to grow in Kansas."

"Shield AI's decision to make Newton the flight test and sustainment home for X-BAT reinforces our state's leadership in aerospace," Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. "Every X-BAT aircraft will be tested in Kansas before delivery, and our state's aviation expertise will help keep the fleet flying for decades to come. From development through long-term operations, Kansas will play a critical role in the success of this next generation of American aerospace technology."

"We are proud that Shield AI chose Newton in 2025 for the X-BAT flight test facility, and we are excited that our role has expanded to include the ongoing maintenance, repair and overhaul functions for the entire X-BAT fleet," Mayor Rich Stinnett said. "It shows Newton has the talent, land and room to grow. Every X-BAT will prove itself here before it goes to a customer, and the work to keep the fleet flying will stay here for decades. That means long-term aviation jobs for Newton families. We look forward to a strong partnership as Shield AI continues its trajectory of incredible growth and innovation."

Washington
"Washington has always been a place where big ideas take flight," said Governor Bob Ferguson. "Our state brings together a world-leading aerospace industry, cutting-edge technology, and one of the most talented workforces anywhere in the world. Shield AI's decision to build its new X-BAT manufacturing facility here is another sign that the future of aerospace is being built in Washington. We welcome Shield AI and the thousands of good-paying jobs this investment will bring."

"King County continues to grow as a center for innovation and economic opportunity, and I look forward to welcoming Shield AI's new X-BAT manufacturing facility in Des Moines," said Congressman Adam Smith. "This hub will create high-quality jobs, strengthen Puget Sound's expanding technology and aerospace sectors, and further diversify our local economy. Reimagining aviation will have a rightful home here in Washington's Ninth District."

"I want to welcome Shield AI to our community as we take these first few steps together," said Yoshiko Grace Matsui, mayor of Des Moines, Washington. "Des Moines has long been home to families contributing to aerospace technology and operations. We are uniquely positioned to support a talented workforce in a new, burgeoning aerospace sector. Building a thriving business environment benefits all who live, work, and visit Des Moines."

About X-BAT
X-BAT is designed as a long-range, survivable, AI-piloted strike fighter that takes off and lands vertically, so it can operate from ships, islands or remote sites without a runway. It will carry weapons up to the 2,000-pound class in internal bays comparable in size to the F-35's, have an objective combat radius of 1,000 nautical miles and support power-intensive electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payloads. Powered by GE Aerospace's F110 engine, X-BAT will fly on Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software, which enables operations without GPS or communications. Flight testing will begin later this year.

About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Media Contact: Lily Hinz; [email protected]

Economic impact source
IMPLAN® model, 2024 Data Year, projection years 2026 to 2046, for model regions including Wichita, Kansas; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington; and Texas. Inputs provided by Shield AI. IMPLAN Group LLC, IMPLAN System (data and software), 16905 Northcross Dr., Suite 120, Huntersville, NC 28078, www.IMPLAN.com.  

SOURCE Shield AI