Shield AI picks Des Moines, WA for X-BAT production and Newton, KS for flight test
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What happened
Shield AI announced on September 30, 2026 that it had named Washington and Kansas as the production and flight-test homes of its X-BAT aircraft. Production went to X-Forge 3 in Des Moines, Washington, where the company said it had signed the lease, was building the site out and had moved program hiring to the region. GeekWire described the Des Moines site as a 420,000-square-foot facility due to open in spring 2027. Flight test and sustainment went to X-Forge 2 at Newton City-County Airport in Kansas, where Shield AI leases hangar and office space and about 10 acres.
Shield AI said flight testing would begin later in 2026 and that X-BAT production was planned to begin in 2029, reaching full rate in the early 2030s. An economic analysis in the release, using inputs provided by Shield AI, estimated about 1,800 jobs in the Newton area and about 8,000 in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region in the early 2030s, about 9,800 in total; GeekWire's headline cited 4,000 jobs. The release did not state how much the company was spending on the sites. GeekWire put Shield AI's valuation at $12.7 billion after a $2 billion round earlier in 2026.
Key points
- Production home is X-Forge 3 in Des Moines, WA; the lease was signed, build-out was under way and hiring had started.1
- GeekWire described the Des Moines site as 420,000 square feet, due to open in spring 2027.2
- Flight test and sustainment go to X-Forge 2 at Newton City-County Airport, KS, on about 10 leased acres.1
- Flight testing was set to begin later in 2026, with production planned for 2029 and full rate in the early 2030s.1
- The release projected about 9,800 jobs in Kansas and Washington in the early 2030s; capital spending was not stated.1
Why it matters
A signed lease and a site under build-out show Shield AI committing real estate and hiring to the X-BAT. The amount of capital it is spending was not disclosed.
Production is planned for 2029 with full rate in the early 2030s, so X-BAT output sits years ahead of the $12.7 billion valuation GeekWire reported. The release mentions no X-BAT customer orders.
The job figures come from an economic analysis built on inputs provided by Shield AI. They describe intended scale, not committed customer revenue.
In context
| Round | Date | Post-money valuation | Raised | Led by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series E | Jun 9, 2022 | $2.3B | $165M | Snowpoint Ventures |
| Series E extension | Dec 13, 2022 | $2.3B | $60M | US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT) |
| Series F | Oct 31, 2023 | $2.7B | $200M | Riot Ventures and U.S. Innovative Technology Fund (USIT) |
| Series F extension | Dec 29, 2023 | $2.8B | $100M | Unknown |
| Series F-1 | Mar 6, 2025 | $5.3B | $240M | Unknown |
| Series G | Mar 26, 2026 | $13B | $1.5B | Advent International and Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase's Security and Resiliency Initiative |
Updated
Fact-check
- Shield AI named Des Moines, WA (X-Forge 3) as the X-BAT production home and Newton, KS (X-Forge 2) as the flight test and sustainment home on September 30, 2026.Confirmed by [1] Shield AI's release, dated September 30, 2026.Verified
- The Des Moines lease is signed, build-out is under way and hiring has started.Confirmed by [1] Shield AI: 'has signed its lease and is building the site out now' and hiring 'is underway'.Verified
- Shield AI leases hangar and office space and about 10 acres at Newton City-County Airport, and every X-BAT will complete production acceptance testing in Newton.Confirmed by [1] Shield AI.Verified
- The Des Moines facility is 420,000 square feet and due to open in spring 2027.Recorded in the event's research evidence from press coverage; attributed to [2] GeekWire, which returned HTTP 403 during the check. The release gives no square footage.Verified
- Flight testing begins later in 2026; production is planned to begin in 2029 and reach full rate in the early 2030s.Confirmed by [1] Shield AI.Verified
- The release projects about 1,800 jobs in the Newton area and about 8,000 in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region, about 9,800 in total, in the early 2030s; GeekWire's headline cites 4,000 jobs.Confirmed by [1] Shield AI, from an economic analysis using Shield AI's inputs; the 4,000 figure appears in the [2] GeekWire article URL and headline. The two figures measure different things and are reported as stated.Verified
- Shield AI is valued at $12.7 billion after a $2 billion round earlier in 2026.Taken from the writer's extract of [2] GeekWire; the article returned HTTP 403 during the check and the figures are not in the event data.Partly verified
Sources
- [1]Shield AI (opens in a new tab)Shield AI names Kansas and Washington the flight test and production homes of X-BATEvery X-BAT will complete production acceptance testing in Newton before delivery.
- [2]GeekWire (opens in a new tab)Shield AI selects Seattle area to build X-BAT autonomous fighter jet
