 "JSW Defence partners with Shield AI, to invest $90 million in 2 years")
JSW Defence Private Limited, a part of the $24 billion JSW Group, announced a partnership with US-based defence technology firm Shield AI to indigenise and manufacture its V-BAT, a Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). As part of the partnership, the company will invest around $90 million over the next two years.
Of the $90 million, $65 million will be allocated in the first 12 months “to establish JSW’s global compliance programme, a manufacturing facility to ensure proper technology licensing, and training of manpower,” as per the company statement.
According to the company’s statement, the investment will enable JSW to establish a local supply chain and create an advanced facility in India for manufacturing, assembling, and testing V-BAT aircraft. JSW Group’s Parth Jindal said, “Through this partnership, we will be able to supply indigenous V-BATs at scale, provide flight operator training, and offer end-to-end maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services to the Indian Armed Forces.”
Additionally, the V-BAT is described as a fixed-wing, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform currently deployed by multiple armed forces worldwide, including the United States’ Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs). “V-BAT has a unique patented ducted design with the advantage of a small logistics footprint and ease of rapid deployment,” the statement added.
Shield AI’s managing director for India, Sarjan Shah, said, “Shield AI has been an early mover in investing deeply in India, in line with both governments’ aims for a closely integrated defence supply chain between the US and India.”