Toll Aviation and American defence technology company Shield AI have announced a teaming agreement to bring the V-BAT uncrewed aerial system (UAS) to Australia.
The V-BAT is a true vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Group 3 UAS, that has the capability for multi-mission payload sets to meet an array of civil and defence mission requirements, with expanding sovereign payload integration potential.
The partnership will see Toll Aviation and Shield AI focus on enhancing existing and creating future collaboration opportunities with Australian technology leaders.
“This Teaming Agreement heralds the next chapter in uncrewed system employment and deployment in Australia. It brings together two innovative and future thinking organisations to deliver ground-breaking capability to Australian end users, supported by a growing swathe of Australian sovereign technologies," said Colin Gunn, Toll Aviation General Manager.
“Importantly, we are excited to ensure that specialist training and operations will be conducted in Australia, by Australian aircrew, under an Australian ReOC training approval or equivalent military training scheme. This will enable clients to receive relevant CASA licensing and operational approvals within the 150kg VTOL systems, paving the way for domestic operations in approved civil and military airspace.”
Toll Aviation will conduct a flight demonstration campaign in Q1 and Q2 of 2024 from key locations across Australia, to showcase the V-BAT capability.
In February 2024, Toll Aviation and Shield AI will conduct a full V-BAT operator and maintainer type endorsement course at The ACE Training Centre in Sydney, with flight serials intended to be conducted in New South Wales and Queensland airspace.
These activities are intended collectively, to deliver flight qualifications on the V-BAT type and enable sufficient product familiarity and experience to accelerate capability decisions.