F-16 thrust-vectoring nozzle now being used for an AI-piloted VTOL fighter
GE Aerospace and Shield AI have completed integration and engine light‑off testing of the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) on the F110‑GE‑129E engine for the X‑BAT aircraft. The AVEN, originally developed for an F‑16 thrust‑vectoring program in the 1990s, was refurbished and successfully tested in a ground‑based campaign. X‑BAT is an AI‑piloted, vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing strike fighter slated for flight tests later this year.
- ▪The AVEN nozzle was integrated into GE Aerospace’s F110‑GE‑129E engine and underwent successful light‑off testing at the Peebles, Ohio test site.
- ▪The nozzle, which accumulated 73 ground‑test hours and 135 flight hours in its original 1990s program, was refurbished for use on the X‑BAT VTOL platform.
- ▪X‑BAT is designed as a long‑range, AI‑controlled strike fighter capable of vertical take‑off and landing from ships, islands, or remote sites without runways.
- ▪The aircraft will carry up to 2,000‑pound class weapons internally and generate 80 kilowatts of electrical power for electronic warfare and ISR payloads.
- ▪Flight testing of the X‑BAT prototype is planned to begin later in 2026, following the recent propulsion integration milestone.
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| Original publisher | Shield AI |
| Canonical URL | https://shield.ai/shield-ai-and-ge-aerospace-light-off-x-bat-engine-completing-thrust-vectoring-nozzle-integration-and-clearing-path-to-vertical-flight/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:32:32 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-31T19:49:57.489Z |
| Last seen | 2026-07-31T19:49:57.489Z |
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| Indexing | May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)? | Allowed |
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[July 20, 2026] Shield AI and GE Aerospace light off X-BAT engine, completing thrust vectoring nozzle integration and clearing path to vertical flight Press Release CINCINNATI (July 20, 2026) — GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) and Shield AI have successfully completed integration, actuation, and engine light-off testing of the advanced Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) for Shield AI’s X-BAT aircraft, a critical milestone in the program’s path to vertical flight. Engineers from both companies modified and integrated the AVEN into GE Aerospace’s F110-GE-129E engine, then completed functional checkouts and engine light-off to verify system performance at GE Aerospace’s test operations site in Peebles, Ohio.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Shield AI.
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