The NATO Support and Procurement Agency ordered additional V-BAT drone systems for the Hellenic Army and Navy. Shield AI says the deal expands an ISR fleet already in Hellenic service and adds spares, training and long term support.
The pitch is runway independence in the Aegean.
James Lythgoe, regional director for Eastern and Southeast Europe at Shield AI, said a common fleet means shared training and logistics for both services. Shield AI says V-BAT offers more than 12 hours of endurance from ship decks and austere sites on its ducted fan design, a lower logistical burden than larger NATO systems.
Shield AI lists dual-ship autonomy tests using Kratos MQM-178 Firejet drones among its recent test work.
StartupHub.ai data tracks Shield AI with Kratos and Anduril among deployed autonomy suppliers, where common fleets and NSPA sustainment favor incumbents with sea time. That's a harder sell for newer VTOL entrants without a joint Army Navy reference.
Shield AI disclosed no aircraft count or contract value, so the scale of the expansion cannot be sized from the announcement. Whether NSPA pricing and shared support turn this joint fleet into a template for other Aegean operators is the number to watch.
