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Netherlands adopts Shield AI V-BAT for defense following Ukraine successes

July 10, 2025  - By
From left: Ryan Tseng, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Shield AI; Vice Adm. René Tas, commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy; Vice Adm. Jan Willem Hartman, Netherlands national armaments director and commander of the Materiel and IT Command (CommIT); and Commodore Frank Lenssen, director of operations, Royal Netherlands Navy. Photo taken at the Maritime Uncrewed event hosted by the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder. (Credit: Shield AI)
From left: Ryan Tseng, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Shield AI; Vice Adm. René Tas, commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy; Vice Adm. Jan Willem Hartman, Netherlands national armaments director and commander of the Materiel and IT Command (CommIT); and Commodore Frank Lenssen, director of operations, Royal Netherlands Navy. Photo taken at the Maritime Uncrewed event hosted by the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder. (Credit: Shield AI)

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence has procured eight V-BAT unmanned aircraft systems from Shield AI to enhance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations for the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marine Corps. 

The deal was publicly announced at the “Maritime Uncrewed” event hosted by the Royal Netherlands Navy in Den Helder, where officials highlighted the V-BAT acquisition as part of a broader effort to modernize the force.

The navy’s decision was informed in part by V-BAT’s demonstrated success in Ukraine, where the platform is executing long-range, long-endurance ISR and targeting with independence from GNSS.

According to Shield AI, the decision to procure V-BAT reflects a push to field battle-proven, autonomy-enabled systems capable of operating in contested environments and without reliance on GNSS for navigation or mission execution. 

The navy’s decision was informed in part by V-BAT’s demonstrated success in Ukraine, where the platform is executing long-range, long-endurance ISR and targeting with independence from GNSS. V-BAT also conducted a successful month-long flight trial during NATO’s REPMUS 2024 exercise, where V-BAT conducted maritime ISR operations aboard the HNLMS Johan de Witt. That event helped validate the system’s shipboard performance and informed the Dutch Ministry’s decision-making process. 

The V-BAT is a single-engine ducted-fan vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system operationally deployed across multiple regions worldwide. Its compact footprint and ability to launch and recover in confined spaces make it suitable for shipborne and austere environments, ensuring flexibility and resilience in complex missions.

V-BAT has operated in GPS-denied and comms-contested environments. Its proven performance in regions like Ukraine, the Black Sea, and the Indo-Pacific demonstrates its ability to withstand advanced electronic warfare threats that have grounded many traditional drones. 

This is posted in Latest News, Defense, UAS/UAV, UAV/UGV

About the Author: Tracy Cozzens

Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.