Shield AI Names Des Moines, Washington as X-BAT Production Home

Shield AI announced on September 30 that X-Forge 3 in Des Moines, Washington, just south of Seattle, will be the production home of X-BAT, its AI-piloted fighter jet designed to take off and land vertically. X-Forge 2 at Newton City-County Airport in Kansas will handle flight test and sustainment.

Building out the Des Moines site

Shield AI has signed its lease in Des Moines and is building the site out now, with hiring for the program underway in the region. It is the company’s first Puget Sound site, and Shield AI expects its footprint to grow as production rates climb.

Production from 2029

X-BAT is planned to begin production in 2029 and reach full rate in the early 2030s. Every aircraft will complete production acceptance testing in Newton before delivery.

Thousands of jobs projected

An economic analysis cited by Shield AI projects the program at rate will support about 8,000 jobs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region in the early 2030s, counting Shield AI, supplier and induced jobs.

Armor Harris, senior vice president of aircraft at Shield AI said:

“Puget Sound has been producing aircraft at rate for seventy years and has the engineers, technicians and suppliers that takes. X-BAT will be built in Washington and fly in Kansas before it goes to a customer, and Kansas will keep this fleet in the air for decades.”

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said:

“Shield AI’s decision to build its new X-BAT manufacturing facility here is another sign that the future of aerospace is being built in Washington. We welcome Shield AI and the thousands of good-paying jobs this investment will bring.”