US Army to replace RQ-7 Shadow drone with V-BAT that lands like a SpaceX rocket

Shield AI and Northrop Grumman will develop a new drone to replace the RQ-7 Shadow drones that have been in service for two decades. The drone is called the V-BAT.

Here's What We Know

The RQ-7 Shadow entered service with the US Army in 2001. The ejection launch system along with its inability to operate in any weather forced the service to look for a replacement. The Army decided on the V-BAT.

It is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone. The UAV can stay in the air for 8 hours, after which it will have enough fuel left in its tank for another 1 hour of flight. The drone resembles a SpaceX rocket because of its appearance during landing.

The modular system allows the use of different types of payloads depending on the mission. The drone can carry electro-optical/infrared sensors, a radar station and electronic warfare systems.

Shield AI tested the drone in the summer of 2022. As part of the tests, the V-BAT was launched from the USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), the second of three Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers. Earlier versions of the drone have been used in US Navy and Marine Corps operations since 2016.

Source: Northrop Grumman