Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration has received its first V-BAT autonomous aircraft from Shield AI, beginning a planned delivery of 12 systems for ship-based maritime surveillance.
Shield AI announced the delivery with Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, or AIDC. The Coast Guard selected the V-BAT in July 2026 for its Shipborne UAV program, according to Naval News.
The Coast Guard presented the newly arrived aircraft at the Port of Taipei on Oct. 7. Shield AI engineers demonstrated setup procedures, while the company said it will train Coast Guard operators and maintenance personnel. AIDC is expected to support a localized maintenance and sustainment system.
The V-BAT is designed for vertical takeoff and landing, allowing it to operate from ship decks without a runway. The Coast Guard plans to use the aircraft for maritime domain awareness, coastal patrols and law-enforcement missions. Shield AI describes the aircraft as a Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system with more than 12 hours of endurance and a heavy-fuel engine.
Those operational details come from the manufacturer’s announcement as reported by Naval News; the source does not provide independent performance testing or operational results from the Taiwan Coast Guard. Shield AI also said its V-BAT is designed for contested electronic-warfare environments and can provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, but the report does not document a specific Taiwanese mission using the aircraft.
The delivery expands a cooperation framework between Shield AI and AIDC focused on training, sustainment, autonomy integration and technical support in Taiwan. For public agencies responsible for maritime safety and enforcement, the arrangement is notable because it pairs the aircraft delivery with local operator training and maintenance capacity rather than relying solely on overseas support.
Shield AI President and co-founder Brandon Tseng said the system would provide Taiwan’s Coast Guard with a maritime intelligence picture across the Taiwan Strait and its maritime borders. That is a company claim, and the source does not include a response from Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration or independent confirmation of the aircraft’s current deployment status.