July 22, 2026

This AI-piloted fighter jet takes off with no runway. It just cleared a key test.

person using MacBook
Christin Hume / Unsplash

A fighter jet that needs no runway is a step closer to flight. Shield AI and GE Aerospace say they have completed engine light-off testing for the X-BAT. It is an AI-piloted strike aircraft, built to take off and land vertically. The two firms announ...