Shawn Ryan Show #247: Brandon Tseng – Shield AI’s X-BAT: The First AI Fighter Jet to Outsmart Top Gun (October 23, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Shawn Ryan sits down with Brandon Tseng, former Navy SEAL, co-founder and president of Shield AI—a leading defense technology company pioneering the use of artificial intelligence (AI) pilots in military systems. Their discussion spans Brandon’s life, SEAL teams experiences, and the evolution of Shield AI, culminating in the conceptualization and unveiling of the X-BAT: an autonomous, vertical takeoff and landing fighter jet. The episode is a journey through modern warfare, technological disruption, and personal grit, focusing on the future of military autonomy and its impact on global stability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brandon Tseng’s Journey: From SEAL Team to Entrepreneur

• Early Life & Upbringing

  • Grew up in Houston, Seattle, then Florida; competitive, sports and video-game obsessed childhood (13:29–14:20).
  • Family background in engineering and hard work ethic instilled by immigrant roots. Strong push toward education and gratefulness for opportunities in the U.S. (18:13–19:36).

• Dream of Becoming a SEAL

  • Inspired by movies like Under Siege and The Rock at age 10 (15:15–16:29).
  • Family had military history but little direct connection until Brandon.

• Naval Academy & SEAL Pathway

  • Described shared suffering and tight-knit relationships at the Academy, then the competitive and mentally taxing process to enter BUD/S from a Naval Academy background (25:21–28:24).

• BUD/S and Early Deployments

  • Reflects on the unique challenges (treading water test, Hell Week—“Boat crews kick their underperformers out… instructors don’t have to do anything. Your classmates are going to take care of you.”—34:04).
  • First deployments involved complex coordination with Afghan commandos, highlighting the operational and leadership challenges (44:44–50:42).

• Decision to Leave Military

  • Sought challenge outside military confines; saw entrepreneurial opportunity, inspired by family and figures like Elon Musk (51:31–53:05).

2. Founding and Building Shield AI

• The Vision

  • Founded in 2015 to specialize in developing AI pilots for military aircraft—“I believe in a world of autonomous systems… swarms are going to be the most strategic conventional deterrent of the 21st century.” (60:29–61:34).

• Mission

  • Protect warfighters and civilians with AI systems, focusing on GPS- and comms-denied environments (61:44).

• Early Solutions

  • First product: AI quadcopter for autonomous indoor building clearing—rapidly adopted in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, and Ukraine. Brought operators home safely, even though the initial market was small (64:05–65:50).

3. From Quadcopter to the Fighter Jet: Technical & Strategic Advances

• Product Evolution

  • Moved up “the aviation food chain” recognizing greater impact would come from strategic, larger platforms.
  • Acquisitions: Bought Martin UAV (VBAT) and Heron Systems (AI for jets) to accelerate capability and reach (75:51).

• AI Pilots: Technical Foundations

  • Modular software stack: state estimation, mapping, controls, global reasoning, path planning—like human senses, cognition, and action (76:30–78:54).
  • Reinforcement learning methodology—millions of simulated experiences, validated with real-world feedback (78:57–80:59).

• Integration in the Field

  • Quadcopter and VBAT drones deployed with U.S. SOF and allied forces; provided decisive ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and targeting despite heavy electronic warfare (100:20–103:22).
  • Notable real-world mission feedback, e.g., hunting surface-to-air missile systems in Ukraine under total GPS/comm jamming (135:15–142:04).

• Swarming and Machine-Machine Collaboration

  • VBAT and upcoming platforms coordinate in real time, sharing data and reacting at “superhuman speeds” (106:33).

4. The X-BAT Unveiled: The First AI Autonomous Fighter Jet

• What is X-BAT?

  • Vertical takeoff/landing (VTOL), multi-role combat strike jet, AI-piloted. No runway, no human pilot required—can be launched from almost any location (111:41–123:24).

• Strategic Advantages

  • “No more Earth is our runway… force adversaries to recalculate their plans.”—Brandon (131:52)
  • Deterrence value: “Geographically distributed long-range fires from anywhere on the battlefield.” (111:50–113:50)
  • Enables U.S. and allies to deploy airpower without reliance on vulnerable runways/aircraft carriers.

• Capabilities

  • 2,100 nautical mile range with mission payload (121:39).
  • Internal bay for AMRAAMs; multitarget, air-to-air, air-to-ground, and electronic warfare missions
  • High altitude (cruise at 55,000ft), near supersonic (Mach 0.85+) (128:19).
  • Operates at a fraction of the F-35’s cost, exponentially improving force projection and survivability (123:33–131:15).

• Deployment and Production Plans

  • First subsystem prototype: 2026; production ready by 2029, aiming for high manufacturing volumes (151:16–152:41).

5. The Future of Warfare & AI’s Role

• Warfare 2035 and Beyond

  • Human-machine teams with swarms of autonomous systems will dominate. Over next hundred years, human combatants likely phased out (82:51–84:52).
  • Autonomy will unlock “near infinite, intelligent, maneuverable mass,” fundamentally shifting military calculus (84:52–87:46).

• China’s Role

  • China most serious global competitor in military AI and autonomy, with fast iteration cycles and resource mobilization (88:24–90:08).

• Security & Espionage Concerns

  • Recognizes the challenge of state-sponsored espionage; stresses speed in innovation as a critical layer of security (90:51–92:44).

6. Reflections, Inspiration, and Vision

• Shield AI’s Ethos

  • Focus on “mission impact” above all else. Products are only meaningful when lives are saved or missions succeed (110:05).

• Advice for Next Generation

  • “Be bold, be courageous… swing for the fences. Be part of a team that's swinging for the fences. You’re never going to regret that.” (154:35–155:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mission impact:
  • “The thing that I live for is mission impact. It's cool to get to have a positive impact on the world in that way.” (07:24)
• On BUD/S:
  • “I loved every second of it… Even in Hell Week… I’m not on that ship. Thank you. Blessed to be here. Blessed to be getting surf tortured.” (31:27 – 32:18)
• On leadership:
  • “The best leadership lessons I learned were actually in the fleet. It built resilience and mentality that… forever changed me.” (28:27 – 30:32)
• On AI pilots in combat:
  • “What autonomy does is, it unlocks the concept of near infinite, intelligent, maneuverable mass…” (84:52)
• On the X-BAT’s capability:
  • “The first airplane in the history of airplanes that doesn’t require a runway and doesn’t require a human pilot.” (111:50)
  • “You can now make every ship an aircraft carrier. Every pickleball court in the world is now your runway.” (128:56 – 130:18)
• On AI-augmented/future warfare:
  • “In 2035, humans still play a massive role. …But you are still going to have… swarms of autonomous systems. 100 years from now, I don't think you see humans playing a big role in warfare.” (82:51 – 84:52)
• On inspiration for Gen Z:
  • “Be bold, be courageous. You’ve got one precious life—make the most of it. Swing for the fences, or be part of a team that is.” (154:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:04] – Brandon Tseng welcomed to the show
• [03:18] – Life story intro: family, upbringing
• [10:03] – How battlefield experiences shaped Shield AI’s vision for military AI
• [15:15] – What inspired Brandon to become a SEAL
• [25:21] – Naval Academy to BUD/S: pathway and setbacks
• [31:27] – Experience at BUD/S and Hell Week
• [44:44] – Afghan deployments, working with commandos
• [51:31] – Decision to leave the Navy and enter entrepreneurship
• [60:29] – Shield AI: founding vision and mission
• [64:05] – First product: autonomous quadcopter for SOF
• [75:51] – Moving up the aviation food chain; VBAT & Heron acquisitions
• [76:30] – How Shield AI’s autonomy software works
• [82:51] – Future of warfare: AI, mass, and maneuver
• [84:52] – “Near infinite, intelligent, maneuverable mass”
• [88:24] – China’s capabilities and threat landscape
• [90:51] – Security, espionage and the importance of speed
• [100:20] – VBAT deployment in Ukraine: operational stories
• [111:13] – X-BAT introduction: design, unveiling, and implications
• [121:39] – X-BAT performance specs and capabilities
• [131:15] – Transformational impact of a “runwayless” Air Force
• [151:16] – Manufacturing scalability and future plans
• [154:35] – Advice/inspiration for the next generation

Episode Flow & Tone

• Candid, honest reflections: Both Shawn and Brandon speak with candor about the realities of military service and entrepreneurship—the wins, losses, struggles, and breakthroughs.
• Technical, yet grounded: While much is highly advanced, Brandon explains core AI and autonomy concepts in accessible language, always relating them back to the end-user: the warfighter.
• Patriotic & motivational: Numerous moments celebrate American ingenuity and service, infusing the episode with pride and optimism for the future.

Summary Takeaways for Non-Listeners

This episode delivers a behind-the-scenes look at the fusion of elite military experience and Silicon Valley-style innovation, tracing how a SEAL's vision catalyzed not just a billion-dollar startup, but the next paradigm of defense technology. As warfare becomes more networked and unmanned, the X-BAT and similar technologies signal a seismic shift—one where victory (and survival) is defined by the speed of iteration, AI-enabled mass, and platforms that can appear from anywhere, at any time… without a runway or a pilot. Brandon Tseng’s journey also offers a template for leadership, grit, and boldness, urging a new generation to take risks for a higher mission.

Final Note

If you want a peek into tomorrow’s battlefield—and the minds determined to keep America’s edge—this episode is required listening.