I remember standing beside a concrete test pad in Ohio as an engine coughed to life; the heat hit like a warning. You felt the small, immediate lesson: runways can be liabilities. I want to show you why a nozzle and some software are changing that calculation fast.
No runway, no problem.
Shield AI and @GE_Aerospace just cleared a critical path to vertical flight, completing engine light-off testing of the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) for X-BAT.
Engineers from both companies integrated the AVEN into GE Aerospace’s… pic.twitter.com/OxV3y3sRKB
— Shield AI (@shieldaitech) July 20, 2026
All set for takeoff
At GE Aerospace’s Peebles, Ohio facility, technicians in heat-resistant gear watched a modified engine light up for the first time with the nozzle integrated.
I’ve tracked propulsion milestones before, and this one feels different. Shield AI and GE Aerospace finished engine light-off testing of the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) on an F110-GE-129E core. The AVEN pivots exhaust in three dimensions so an aircraft can literally balance on its tailpipe for vertical launch and recovery. Armor Harris, Shield AI’s senior vice president of aircraft engineering, said the propulsion system is where the plane lives or dies — and the teams just cleared a major step.
The AVEN is a mechanical marionette, retooled from 1990s experiments on F-16s and now married to modern controls so the nozzle, the engine, and flight software speak as one.
You should also note the pedigree: the nozzle has accumulated 135 flight hours over 95 flights historically, and this was the first fully integrated test of nozzle, controls, and engine since that era. That history sped development because Shield AI didn’t have to invent a nozzle from zero; they adapted flight-proven hardware and paired it with modern integration work at Peebles.
How does the X-Bat take off without a runway?
Short answer: precision thrust vectoring plus autonomous control. The AVEN redirects exhaust in three axes; Hivemind—the autonomous software from Shield AI—controls nozzle angles, engine thrust, and attitude to perform vertical takeoffs and landings. The F110-GE-129E with AVEN provides the raw force, the nozzle provides the directional control, and Hivemind times every movement.
When you watch the data, you’ll see coordinated inputs—nozzle deflection, throttle modulation, control-surface trim—all working in milliseconds to keep the jet upright during a hover. That capability lets a supersonic, AI-piloted aircraft exit and return to a shipping container, a remote island, or an austere highway shoulder instead of a fixed airbase.
What is the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN)?
AVEN is a 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle first tested decades ago on F-16 demonstrators. It moves exhaust in three dimensions for fine directional control and vertical-balance capability. Shield AI and GE adapted that old hardware and modernized the controls so the nozzle can speak to contemporary engines and autonomy.
I’ll be blunt: adapting proven mechanics is faster and less risky than inventing entirely new propulsion hardware. GE provided the engine and propulsion integration; Shield AI provided the autonomy package—Hivemind—so the pair could run integrated checkouts and engine light-off tests at pace.
No runway needed
On a carrier deck, island ridge, or a service road, a jet that doesn’t need a runway changes the options commanders have available.
You should imagine an aircraft that can carry internal loads similar to an F-35: X-Bat is designed for two weapon bays, each rated for up to 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms). It also produces roughly 80 kilowatts of electrical power to run electronic warfare and jamming suites—enough juice to act as a disruptive node in contested airspace.
The X-Bat is built around Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy. That means the jet can perform uncrewed vertical takeoffs and landings, fly cooperative missions alongside crewed fighters, and continue operating under GPS or data jamming. I’ve spoken to program engineers who describe it as both a sensor platform and a weapons truck that can scatter across a theater without fixed infrastructure.
Development began over two years ago and the aircraft was first revealed in October 2025. Shield AI’s pairing with GE Aerospace gave them the engine expertise—F110 core, AVEN integration, and test support—that accelerated the work. After more ground tests, the nozzle will be installed on the X-Bat prototype ahead of a vertical flight test scheduled for later this year.
The X-Bat is a chessmaster in the sky: it can reposition from unexpected vectors, complicating an opponent’s planning and defense decisions.
If you follow military tech, this moment is both a technical milestone and a strategic inflection. I want you to keep watching the test flights, the software updates, and the debates that follow—because a jet that can lift off from anywhere changes where wars start and how they’re fought. Who should set the rules for using a jet that can appear from a scrub field and vanish again?