Granta Autonomy Unveils " X-WING " AI-Guided VTOL Munition

Lithuanian defence firm Granta Autonomy has introduced the X-WING, an AI-driven loitering munition that merges vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) convenience with the range and efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft. Designed for frontline flexibility, the X-WING is intended to give small, mobile units a precision strike capability that works even in contested electronic environments.

Weighing around 12 kilograms (26 lb), the X-WING carries a 4-kilogram (8.8 lb) hybrid warhead engineered to both penetrate heavy armour and produce substantial fragmentation effects. That dual capability makes it effective against heavily armoured vehicles as well as softer but high-value targets such as radar installations and air-defence systems.

A core strength of the X-WING is its autonomy. The system uses advanced AI target-recognition and guidance algorithms that allow it to seek and track targets even when GNSS (satellite navigation) signals are unavailable or jammed. This GNSS-resilient navigation, combined with a reported operational range of up to 50 kilometres (31 miles), enables stand-off engagements and persistent area-denial tasks without relying on continuous external positioning signals.

The platform is fitted with Granta’s microgimbal sensor suite, which pairs a daytime electro-optical camera with a thermal imager. This dual sensor setup improves detection and identification across daylight and low-visibility conditions, and helps the onboard AI detect targets that are camouflaged or have a low signature. The X-WING’s datalink is built for interoperability and is reported to be compatible with a wide variety of ground station software, simplifying integration into existing command setups.

Granta positions the X-WING as a sibling system to its Hornet XR reconnaissance drone. The Hornet XR is designed for long-endurance ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) missions and can operate for extended periods to feed sensor data into the battle network. Used together, the Hornet XR can provide persistent surveillance while the X-WING conducts sensor-to-shooter strike missions, enabling coordinated targeting in complex operational environments.

CEO and co-founder Gediminas Guoba has emphasised that the X-WING reflects a battlefield-proven philosophy informed by the company’s experience supplying FPV and reconnaissance systems to conflict zones. Granta has stated ambitions for large-scale production, seeking to ramp manufacturing capacity rapidly to meet expected demand from militaries looking for portable, resilient strike options.

Operationally, the X-WING can perform vertical launches, transition to winged cruise for transit and loitering, and then switch to a diving attack profile in the terminal phase. Its modularity and rapid-launch capability suit distributed, mobile forces that need to deploy autonomous strike assets quickly and without specialist launch infrastructure.

Beyond propulsion and sensors, Granta highlights efforts to harden the system against electronic warfare and communications denial through resilient on-board autonomy and robust mission planning. These design choices reflect a broader shift toward loitering munitions that can continue to operate usefully in jammed or GNSS-denied battlefields.

If fielded at scale, a compact VTOL + fixed-wing loitering munition like the X-WING could change small-unit engagement options by providing a locally available, autonomous precision strike capability that complements long-endurance ISR platforms and strengthens distributed combat power.