GE Aerospace, Shield AI, and Polish defense contractor Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 S.A. (WZL-2) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities in Europe for the F110 engine powering the autonomous X-BAT fighter.

The agreement, announced in a press release on October 12, 2026, aims to build local sustainment infrastructure for the AI-piloted vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, ensuring next-generation autonomous systems remain mission-ready on NATO’s eastern flank.

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Building local sustainment for autonomous systems

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines a framework for the three companies to explore the infrastructure, equipment, and training required to build and expand maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in Poland over time. The primary focus is the GE Aerospace F110 engine and its specialized Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN), which provides the X-BAT with its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities.

Amy Gowder, President & CEO of Defense & Systems at GE Aerospace, noted that the manufacturer has supported Poland’s armed forces and aerospace industry for more than 30 years.

This MOU extends that partnership to X-BAT, bringing proven propulsion and sustainment expertise together with Shield AI’s breakthrough innovation in AI-piloted aircraft and Polish industry to keep next-generation autonomous systems mission-ready.

WZL-2, one of Poland’s largest aviation companies, already provides comprehensive maintenance and modernization services for military airframes and engines. Jakub Gazda, CEO of WZL-2, stated that the agreement marks a step forward in developing the company’s capabilities in advanced aerospace technologies.

We believe that combining WZL-2’s experience, our partners’ technologies, and the potential of the Polish industry will create new opportunities to develop domestic technical expertise, strengthen security, and increase the participation of Polish industry in international defense supply chains.

The X-BAT program and recent milestones

The X-BAT is an AI-piloted fighter aircraft designed to operate independently of vulnerable hardened airfields. Utilizing its VTOL capabilities, the aircraft can launch and recover from small sites, ships, and roads. The program is managed by Shield AI, a venture-backed defense technology company founded in 2015 that specializes in intelligent systems and autonomy software.

The Polish MRO agreement follows a series of rapid developments for the X-BAT program. On October 8, 2026, Shield AI and the US government announced that total investment in the X-BAT program had reached $400 million, following a $150 million agreement modification. That same day, Shield AI signed a strategic agreement with GEK TERNA to jointly pursue the development of an X-BAT sustainment and industrial base in Greece.

Production and testing infrastructure is also expanding domestically. On September 30, 2026, Shield AI named facilities in Kansas and Washington as the official flight test and production homes for the X-BAT aircraft.

Expanding Poland’s aerospace industrial base

The October 12 MOU builds directly upon a letter of intent signed on September 9, 2026, between Shield AI, WZL-2, and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A. (PGZ), the state-owned defense holding company that includes WZL-2. That initial agreement established a partnership for the design, production, delivery, and sustainment of the X-BAT in Poland.

Ryan Tseng, President, Co-founder, and Chief Strategy Officer at Shield AI, highlighted the strategic importance of the Polish defense sector, noting that few countries in Europe are investing in advanced technology at Poland’s scale.

GE’s F110, with its updated thrust-vectoring nozzle, is one of the most advanced powerplants in the world. WZL-2 has the people and facilities to maintain it in Poland. With both companies working with us, Polish industry can build and support X-BAT for Poland and for export, as part of Shield AI’s supply chain.

F110 engine legacy and capabilities

GE Aerospace brings a massive industrial footprint to the partnership, employing approximately 57,000 people globally with an installed base of roughly 30,000 military and 50,000 commercial aircraft engines. The F110 engine family recently marked 40 years of continuous production and improvement, accumulating 11 million flight hours across various military platforms.

For the X-BAT application, the F110 is paired with the AVEN system. This thrust-vectoring nozzle directs the engine’s exhaust to enable vertical flight operations while also enhancing the aircraft’s maneuverability during horizontal flight phases.

AirPro News analysis

We note that establishing MRO infrastructure concurrently with aircraft development represents a deliberate shift from traditional defense procurement models, where sustainment planning often lags behind initial fielding. By securing maintenance agreements in frontline NATO states like Poland and Greece, Shield AI and GE Aerospace are aligning the X-BAT’s industrial footprint directly with its operational doctrine.

The X-BAT is fundamentally designed for distributed operations away from major, targetable air bases. Building a decentralized, regional supply chain ensures that heavy maintenance and engine overhauls can occur close to the anticipated deployment zones, reducing logistics tails and keeping turnaround times short for operators on NATO’s eastern and southern flanks.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will expand its annual production capacity for the AL-31FP aero-engine from 30 to 50 units and establish a second manufacturing line for Shakti helicopter engines. The capacity increases, announced by the Indian Ministry of Defence on October 6, 2026, coincide with the delivery of the 2,000th engine from the HAL Koraput Division.

The expansion supports the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter fleet and scales up production for indigenous rotary-wing platforms. According to a press release from the Press Information Bureau, the government is also advancing plans for a sovereign high-thrust engine program to power future combat aircraft.

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Scaling up Su-30MKI and helicopter engine production

To meet the increased AL-31FP production target of 50 engines per year, HAL is allocating an investment of Rs 335 crore. The AL-31FP turbofan engine is the primary powerplant for the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, which forms the backbone of the Indian Air Force fighter fleet.

Concurrently, HAL is investing Rs 218 crore to establish a second production line for the Shakti turboshaft engine. The new facility is scheduled to be fully operational by the 2028-2029 timeframe. Once complete, the second line will have a maximum capacity of 100 engines annually. The Shakti engine powers India’s domestic military Helicopters, including the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and the Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH).

Fulfilling the 2024 AL-31FP contract

The capacity expansion follows a major procurement order placed two years prior. In September 2024, the Indian Ministry of Defence awarded HAL a contract valued at approximately Rs 26,000 crore to manufacture 240 AL-31FP engines over an eight-year period. HAL has delivered 63 engines to date, exceeding the target of 60 engines set for the end of the contract’s second year.

The October 6 announcement also marked a historic production milestone for the HAL Koraput Division in Odisha. Established in 1964, the facility has manufactured engines for the MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-30MKI aircraft. The division has now produced 2,000 new aero-engines and completed overhauls on more than 9,000 engines over its six decades of operation.

Transitioning to indigenous high-thrust propulsion

Beyond licensed production of existing designs, the Indian government is pursuing a sovereign high-thrust engine program. The Ministry of Defence has proposed a Rs 5,000 crore investment to develop a domestic powerplant intended for future platforms, specifically the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

To support this transition, HAL is partnering with Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) to indigenize the raw materials required for advanced aerospace manufacturing. The initiative includes the establishment of India‘s first indigenous high-thrust engine testing facility.

AirPro News analysis

India‘s aerospace sector is actively shifting from the licensed manufacturing of Russian and European designs toward sovereign development. The capacity increases at HAL secure the near-term readiness of the existing Su-30MKI and light helicopter fleets, buying time for the Rs 5,000 crore high-thrust engine program to mature. Developing a domestic high-thrust turbofan remains one of the most complex technical barriers for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. The raw material indigenization efforts with MIDHANI represent a critical prerequisite for long-term independence, as mastering metallurgy is often the primary bottleneck in sovereign engine development.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Corporation company, introduced a containerized deployment system on October 12, 2026, capable of housing and launching four Nomad 100 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

Announced during the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington, D.C., the “Nomad 100 fast pack” is designed to meet United States Department of Defense (DoD) requirements for runway-independent, autonomous aircraft. According to the manufacturer’s press release, the system provides a low-footprint solution for operating in contested environments and austere locations lacking traditional aviation infrastructure.

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Rapid deployment and system specifications

The fast pack utilizes a standard 20-foot ISO shipping container to transport and support the Group 3 UAS. Sikorsky stated that operators can prepare two of the 18-foot wingspan Nomad 100 aircraft for flight within 15 minutes of opening the container. Preparing the remaining two aircraft requires between four and six hours.

The integration aims to reduce the logistical footprint typically required for uncrewed aviation operations by consolidating necessary support equipment. The container houses the aircraft alongside mission command hardware, communications arrays, power supplies, and sustainment equipment.

Rich Benton, vice president and general manager at Sikorsky, noted the military’s push to expand uncrewed aircraft inventories with field-ready solutions.

“By packaging aircraft, mission command, communications, power and sustainment into a single containerized system, we are making it easier to move, employ and reposition VTOL UAS capability with urgency and flexibility,” Benton said.

The Nomad 100 and MATRIX autonomy

The Nomad 100 aircraft features a rotor-blown-wing design. This configuration utilizes twin proprotors to provide the vertical lift and hover capabilities of a traditional helicopter while maintaining the speed, range, and endurance associated with fixed-wing airplanes.

Flight operations are managed through Sikorsky’s MATRIX autonomy software. The fast pack configuration allows these autonomous systems to be deployed for expeditionary intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR-T), as well as strike and multirole operations. The containerized format enables staging from naval vessels, tactical vehicle staging areas, and improvised landing zones.

While the manufacturer has detailed the deployment mechanism and physical dimensions of the system, Sikorsky has not publicly released specific performance metrics for the Nomad 100. Data regarding its maximum payload capacity, exact range, and maximum endurance remain undisclosed.

Sikorsky’s autonomous systems development

The introduction of the fast pack follows a series of development milestones for the Nomad program. Sikorsky officially unveiled the Nomad family of eVTOL drones on October 6, 2025, introducing the 18-foot wingspan variant to the market.

Testing of the platform advanced throughout the following year. On July 22, 2026, the manufacturer announced the completion of initial ground and flight testing for the Nomad 100. This testing was conducted in collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE) program.

The MATRIX autonomy suite powering the Nomad 100 is also being integrated into other platforms. On July 20, 2026, Sikorsky announced plans to integrate the software into BETA Technologies’ MV250 hybrid-VTOL aircraft, expanding a portfolio that includes the optionally piloted UH-60 Black Hawk.

Lockheed Martin has not yet disclosed pricing, customer commitments, or a specific production timeline for the Nomad 100 fast pack system.

AirPro News analysis

The Nomad 100 fast pack aligns directly with the U.S. military’s strategic shift toward distributed maritime operations and agile combat employment. By condensing the logistical tail of a Group 3 UAV into a single, standardized shipping container, Sikorsky is addressing the vulnerability of traditional airbases and large staging areas. We view the 15-minute setup time for the first two aircraft as a critical metric for contested logistics, allowing units to establish an ISR-T presence before adversaries can target their insertion point. However, the lack of published payload and range data makes it difficult to assess how the Nomad 100 compares to established fixed-wing catapult-launched systems currently fulfilling similar roles. The success of the fast pack will likely depend on whether the rotor-blown-wing design can deliver fixed-wing endurance without sacrificing the payload capacity required for modern sensor suites.