Shield AI plans to increase the proportion of V-BAT components and materials it purchases from Taiwan suppliers from the current 16% to 25%, the defense technology company confirmed in materials published on its V-BAT program page. The nine-percentage-point increase would take the Taiwan share of the aircraft's sourced components and materials to one quarter.

The procurement expansion covers printed circuit board assemblies as part of a broader sourcing effort, according to the company's published materials. Beyond the PCB assemblies, the materials do not itemize the remaining components and materials covered by the wider effort.

Taiwan is one of the world's leading hubs for electronics manufacturing, including semiconductor and printed circuit board production, making it a significant supplier base for aerospace and defense hardware programs. Lifting the Taiwan share to 25% places a quarter of the V-BAT's component and material purchasing within that manufacturing base, tying more of the aircraft's production inputs to Taiwan's electronics sector.

Shield AI, founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Diego, develops artificial intelligence pilot software and autonomous aircraft systems for defense applications. Its V-BAT is a tail-sitting vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system capable of launching and recovering without runways, enabling operations from ships, small vessels, and confined sites.

This content was first published on COINOTAG on October 3, 2026.