Buying guide
HX-2 (and HF-1) vs Shield AI V-BAT in 2026
Comparing 2 humanoid robots across availability, pricing, capabilities, and verified deployments. Current as of 2026.
Key differences
- Shield AI V-BAT has more capabilities independently verified as autonomous (1 vs 0).
- Shield AI V-BAT has more verified real-world deployments (3 vs 1).
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Helsing | Shield AI |
| Form factor | aerial | aerial |
| Maturity | production | production |
| Autonomy | — | ✓ 1 verified autonomous |
| Availability | internal-onlyenterprise | internal-onlyenterprise |
| Price | $18,000 (analyst estimate) | Not announced |
| Capability claims | — |
|
| Brain | — |
|
| Verified deployments | 1Ukrainian Armed Forces | 3 |
| Privacy practices | — | — |
| Sources on file | 6 | 13 |
Editorial summaries
HX-2 (and HF-1)
Helsing's HX-2 is an electric X-wing precision-strike munition (about 100 kilometers range, 250 kilometers per hour, up to 5 kilograms payload) with onboard AI for electronic-warfare resistance, built at the company's southern-Germany Resilience Factory at a stated capacity above 1,000 per month; the related HF-1 is a plywood-fuselage AI loitering munition with GPS-independent navigation made with Ukrainian industry. Helsing, founded in Munich in March 2021 and chaired by Spotify's Daniel Ek, reached a roughly 12-billion-euro valuation in a June 2025 Series D. DEPLOY records the drone line at production maturity on a verified fielding anchor: a German-underwritten 4,000-unit HF-1 order with 1,950 units delivered to Ukraine. The larger 6,000-unit HX-2 order announced in February 2025 is ordered, not yet verified-delivered, and DEPLOY holds that distinction rather than counting it as fielded. It is defense procurement; there is no consumer price.
Shield AI V-BAT
Shield AI's V-BAT (military designation MQ-35) is a Group 3 VTOL fixed-wing ISR and targeting drone that takes off and lands vertically from a small footprint, powered by the Hivemind autonomy stack and built to operate in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Its autonomy is verified-substantive: Hivemind is genuine fielded onboard autonomy, and V-BAT is the new-defense cohort's strongest deployment anchor with two verified deployments on the registry (the US Coast Guard and Ukraine). The Block upgrade adds SATCOM and a heavy-fuel engine. Shield AI, founded in San Diego in 2015, sells V-BAT as defense procurement equipment on contract; there is no consumer price.
Common questions
- What is the difference between HX-2 (and HF-1) and Shield AI V-BAT?
- HX-2 (and HF-1) and Shield AI V-BAT are both aerial robots on the DEPLOY registry. They differ in maker, maturity, price, verified deployments, and how much of their autonomy is independently verified. See the table above for the full head-to-head; each figure is sourced.
- Is HX-2 (and HF-1) or Shield AI V-BAT more autonomous?
- Shield AI V-BAT has more capabilities independently verified as autonomous on the DEPLOY registry than HX-2 (and HF-1). DEPLOY counts a capability as autonomous only when verified at a real deployment, not from a demo or a vendor claim.
- Which has more verified deployments, HX-2 (and HF-1) or Shield AI V-BAT?
- Shield AI V-BAT has more verified deployments (3) on the DEPLOY registry than HX-2 (and HF-1) (1). DEPLOY counts a deployment only when confirmed at a named site with a primary source.
Recent coverage
- New Pentagon unmanned czar will oversee most drone programsShield AI V-BAT · AgentRecon · 2026-07-01
- Poland buys V-BAT drones to boost Baltic Sea naval operationsShield AI V-BAT · C4ISRNET · 2026-06-25
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