{
  "id": 6340136,
  "title": "'Revolutionary' 36-year old jet engine designed for F-16 set to power world's first AI-piloted VTOL fighter jet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/revolutionary-36-year-old-jet-engine-designed-for-f-16-set-to-power",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-08T22:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechRadar",
    "slug": "techradar",
    "url": "https://www.techradar.com/pro/revolutionary-36-year-old-jet-engine-designed-for-f-16-set-to-power-worlds-first-ai-piloted-vtol-fighter-jet"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A revolutionary 36-year-old jet engine, the AVEN thrust-vectoring nozzle, is set to power the world's first AI-piloted Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) fighter jet, the X-BAT. Developed over 35 years ago and first tested on a General Dynamics F-16 in the 1990s, the AVEN – Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle – works by directing the exhaust instead of manipulating airflow across the airfoil, a process termed \"thrust-vectoring.\"\n\nShield AI and GE Aerospace have recently revived the technology, pairing it with an F110-GE-129E engine for the X-BAT. The VTOL X-BAT's capabilities, including hovering and superhuman reaction speeds, are made possible by the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle. This nozzle allows the X-BAT to take off like a rocket, removing the need for pilot intervention during extreme aerial maneuvers. The X-BAT, designed for deployment in areas with limited runways, leverages the nozzle's thrust for its unique take-off and landing capabilities.\n\nFirst test flights of the X-BAT are slated for late 2026 in Kansas, with plans for operational validation and full production in 2028. The AVEN nozzle, while originally developed for the F-16, has been modernized with new materials, production techniques, and compatibility with 21st-century guidance systems, ensuring seamless integration with the X-BAT's AI piloting and control systems.",
  "summary": "Shield AI’s unmanned vertical takeoff craft the X-BAT is employing axisymmetric vectoring, using a a jet engine first tested in the 1990s.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}