Shield AI and GEK TERNA sign strategic agreement to jointly pursue the development of an X-BAT sustainment and industrial base in Greece

ATHENS (October 8, 2026) – In Athens, Shield AI and GEK TERNA, Greece’s largest investor in critical infrastructure assets, signed a strategic agreement to jointly pursue parts production, aircraft integration and long-term sustainment for X-BAT in Greece. 

Greece, a NATO member and long-standing US ally defends hundreds of islands and a long coastline across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Runways are among the first targets in a conflict, and island airstrips are few and exposed and X-BAT removes that dependency. X-BAT is designed as a long-range, survivable, AI-piloted strike fighter that takes off and lands vertically, so it can operate from ships, islands or remote sites without a runway. It will carry weapons up to the 2,000-pound class in internal bays comparable in size to the F-35’s, have an objective combat radius of 1,000 nautical miles and support power-intensive electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payloads. Powered by GE Aerospace’s F110 engine, X-BAT will fly on Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software, which enables operations without GPS or communications. Flight testing will begin later this year. 

“Greece already flies our aircraft over the Aegean and Greek engineers are already building on our software, so X-BAT is the next step in that relationship,” said James Lythgoe, Regional Director, Eastern & Southeast Europe of Shield. “An aircraft that doesn’t need a runway fits a country that defends hundreds of inhabited islands. GEK TERNA builds and runs the motorways, airports, power systems and critical digital infrastructure that Greece depends on. We want that same capability of structuring, delivering and operating comprehensively technologically complex projects building the launch sites, training centers, MRO’s and sustainment centres as well as industrial base that keep X-BAT flying, in Greece and across the Eastern Mediterranean.” 

Under the MoU, Shield AI would lead the X-BAT program and supply the aircraft’s autonomy software and mission systems. GEK TERNA would act as Shield AI’s strategic partner in Greece, managing and enhancing a Greek supplier base that includes small and medium-sized enterprises expected to take part in the program, while also running a local X-BAT program office. Local industrial participation is expected to include parts manufacturing and assembly, ground equipment, operating bases and launch sites, training centers, maintenance and repair, and research with Greek universities aimed not just for Greece but for the wider region. 

“For more than fifty years, GEK TERNA has developed, built and operated reliable critical infrastructure assets that Greeks use every day, from national motorways, power plants, airports, water to digital infrastructure,” said George Kouladis – Investments Monitoring Head of GEK TERNA. “Dual use infrastructure has always been part of that work but now is in the forefront. With Shield AI, we want Greek companies to assemble, integrate and support X-BAT here, aiming for Greece to become the place where operators in the region train and maintain it. That means long term local highly skilled engineering jobs, a strong Greek supplier base and an aircraft the Hellenic Armed Forces can sustain at home to ensure resilience.” 

The companies will look at Greece as a regional hub for X-BAT training, logistics and maintenance, serving Cyprus, the Balkans, and Southeastern Europe. Roles, workshare and facilities will be set in definitive agreements, which the companies are now negotiating.  

Shield AI’s work in Greece has grown this year across aircraft, software and industry. In June, the Hellenic Army signed an agreement to expand its V-BAT fleet for maritime surveillance across the Aegean, and Shield AI announced a new office in Athens. In July, V-BAT flew the live demonstration at the opening of Greece’s Joint UAS Tactics Training Centre in Tripoli. 

About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Media Contact: Lily Hinz; [email protected] 

About GEK TERNA
GEK TERNA is the leading critical infrastructure and energy investment company in Greece with experience in the development, construction, operation, and long term management of major transportation and energy infrastructure, alongside social and environmental assets. With decades of engineering experience, GEK TERNA delivers and operates, highways, airports, energy infrastructure, digital projects, waste management facilities, and other large scale and specialized projects. The company is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, employs approximately 14,000 people and holds an investment-grade credit rating from major international rating agencies like Moody’s and S&P.