American Drones for Armenia: A Tactical Deal and a Strategic Signal
The United States has officially announced, for the first time, a major sale of military technology to Armenia.
The deal concerns the delivery of V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) reconnaissance drones worth $11 million. This was announced by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance following talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on February 9.
Military and Political Significance
The appearance of V-BAT drones in Armenia is not merely the purchase of another batch of UAVs, but a development of broader military-political significance.
This involves a Western-made platform already used by the U.S. military and its allies and tested in conditions of modern warfare. It signals the establishment of defense cooperation between Yerevan and Washington and a gradual diversification of Armenia’s sources of armaments. Against the backdrop of reduced traditional supplies and a declining level of defense dependence on Russia, this looks like part of a broader transformation of Armenia’s defense architecture. The symbolic and political dimension should also be taken into account: the transfer of V-BATs may serve as a signal of the U.S. willingness to continue contributing to the strengthening of Armenia’s defense potential.
V-BAT enhances the Armenian Armed Forces’ capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition—precisely the components that have demonstrated critical importance in conflicts in recent years. The “tail-sitter” design and minimal requirements for takeoff and landing sites are especially relevant for the mountainous theater of operations typical of the South Caucasus. This increases operational mobility, including use near the line of contact and in hard-to-reach areas.
By itself, the $11 million delivery does not alter the regional balance of power. Based on the approximate unit price, Armenia may have acquired around 12 such drones. However, the qualitative factor is more important than the quantitative one: the introduction of a modern reconnaissance system that can be integrated into network-centric command and control structures. With appropriate communications and control systems in place, such drones can significantly improve the accuracy of artillery and other fire assets.
Overall, this reflects a gradual shift in the technological profile of the Armenian Armed Forces and in Armenia’s external political ties. In the long term, similar deliveries may be more significant than their purely tactical impact.
What Is the V-BAT?
The V-BAT is a VTOL reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the American company Shield AI. It is in service with the U.S. Armed Forces and is used by U.S. Department of Defense units, including the Marine Corps, the Navy, and special operations forces.
V-BAT is also operated by several other countries—for example, the drones were observed in Greece in spring 2025. As part of military assistance, the drones have been transferred to Ukraine and used in combat conditions since 2024. At the end of 2024, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force selected the V-BAT as its ship-based reconnaissance UAV.
After demonstrating resilience to electronic warfare systems typical of the Ukrainian battlefield, the platform became highly sought after. Active customers or countries conducting trials also include the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and the UAE.
In other words, this is a platform that has already undergone practical use in a wide range of conditions—from maritime patrols to active combat zones—and is in high demand.
According to the manufacturer, order volumes or contracts typically range from 4 to 300 units. One V-BAT costs approximately $1 million, although the price may vary depending on the number of units purchased and the integrated technologies.
The drone belongs to the “tail-sitter” category: it takes off vertically, transitions to horizontal flight using its wing, and lands vertically on its tail. Takeoff and landing require a pad of at least 2.5 × 2.5 meters, making the system suitable for mountainous terrain, shipboard operations, or unprepared sites. In its basic configuration, the V-BAT performs intelligence, surveillance, and target designation missions.
However, the platform also allows for the integration of strike capabilities. In particular, it can carry up to four Hatchet miniature munitions developed by Northrop Grumman. These are glide mini-bombs 32.5 cm long and weighing 2.9 kg, with a 1.4 kg warhead. For example, Seoul plans to arm its V-BATs with domestically produced laser-guided L-MDM missiles.
Production Cooperation
An important element is the manufacturer’s international cooperation. Currently, Shield AI produces about 200 drones per year at its “Batcave” facility in Texas. To expand production, the company has decided to also manufacture V-BATs in India.
In December, the Indian company JSW Defence signed a long-term strategic partnership and technology transfer (ToT) agreement with Shield AI, with investments totaling $90 million. An assembly facility is being built for local production in the EMC Maheswaram industrial cluster in Hyderabad. India aims to establish a hub for assembly, testing, and mass production of the V-BAT. Production is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
It is important to note that today Armenia’s most active and stable defense ties are being built with India. Yerevan is already implementing a number of contracts for the purchase of Indian weapons, and the Indian direction has become key in diversifying suppliers. In this context, cooperation on the V-BAT through an Indian production site could gain additional significance, both in terms of logistics and long-term technological partnership.
Notably, the Indian case is considered the largest in terms of planned unit numbers after the United States. In addition to assembly, India will be a major operator of the V-BAT, purchasing a significant number of systems for its own armed forces.
Combat Use
According to open sources, V-BAT drones are used in real combat operations, primarily in Ukraine, which adds value to the system as a platform already tested in modern warfare.
After a period of refinement in 2024, V-BAT drones successfully passed combat trials in Ukraine against electronic warfare interference. In 2025 alone, according to the company, the drones conducted more than 35 missions and detected over 200 Russian targets in the combat zone.
The company cited a telling episode: a V-BAT observed a Russian Pantsir surface-to-air missile and gun system for approximately 100 minutes at a distance of about 110 kilometers from the front line. The target was detected and tracked, but a strike could not be carried out due to the lack of an appropriate strike platform.
This example demonstrates the key role of the V-BAT as a deep-reconnaissance asset for identifying high-value targets, whose effectiveness directly depends on the availability of an integrated fire-strike system.
The article was originally published on Civilnet.
Eduard Arakelyan
RCDS