Shield AI has selected Des Moines, Washington, just south of Seattle, for X-Forge 3, the production site for its X-BAT autonomous fighter. The company says its lease is signed and the facility is being built out. Newton, Kansas, will handle flight testing and fleet maintenance. Shield AI’s September 30 announcement.
For students considering aerospace careers in the Pacific Northwest, there is an immediate reason to look closer: the company already lists Seattle among the locations for summer 2027 internships. Those postings provide a more specific starting point for career planning than a long-term hiring headline.
What is X-BAT, and how far along is it?
X-BAT is a fighter aircraft in development, designed to take off and land vertically without a runway and use Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software. The company’s program page targets first vertical flight in 2026 and production in 2029. Those dates describe the planned development schedule; they do not establish completed flight tests or operational service. X-BAT program page.
Read the jobs forecast carefully
John Cook’s announcement post highlights plans to add 4,000 jobs by the early 2030s. Separately, Shield AI projects about 8,000 jobs supported across the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region by that period, including its own workforce, suppliers, and employment supported by local spending. That regional estimate assumes the program proceeds as planned. It is not a count of current vacancies. Company economic-impact summary.
For an application decision, use a specific job description: location, degree or experience requirements, responsibilities, and timing.
Openings students can investigate now
These examples were listed on Shield AI’s careers site when checked September 30, 2026. Each title links to the employer’s posting; availability can change.
Summer 2027 — Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Intern. Dallas or Seattle. Work includes production planning, quality data, and process improvement. For students pursuing a relevant engineering degree; advertised pay is $34–54/hour.
Summer 2027 — Electrical Engineering Intern. Dallas, Seattle, San Diego, or Boston. Work includes avionics hardware, test fixtures, and Python test automation. The posting accepts project experience from clubs and personal work; advertised pay is $38–73/hour.
Electrical Engineer I — Seattle. An entry-level X-BAT avionics role asking for an electrical engineering degree or equivalent, engineering team experience, and circuit-design tools.
The two summer internship postings describe ten-week programs. Pay depends on academic level, and housing assistance is conditional. Check the listing and confirm the assigned location, dates, and support with the recruiting team before making plans.
There are also paths for experienced technicians. A Seattle Senior Propulsion Technician posting seeks aircraft-engine experience and highlights an A&P license. It illustrates a connection to aviation maintenance, but it is a senior role, not a beginner training program.
Choose one role and build evidence for it
AeroEd’s suggestion: save one posting that interests you and turn its requirements into a short learning plan.
- Manufacturing: use a school or club build to record assembly steps, measure rework, and explain one process improvement. Explore the aerospace manufacturing pathway.
- Electronics and testing: document a small sensor or circuit project with a schematic, measurements, and an explanation of a fault you resolved. Start with the avionics pathway.
- Engineering analysis: prepare a report that states your question, assumptions, method, and results. The student project directory and NASA engine-data project offer starting points.
For each project, make your own contribution easy to identify. Include what failed and how you checked the result. A modest piece of work you can explain gives a recruiter something concrete to discuss.
Use the Shield AI company profile to explore its products and career connections, and the startup internship guide to compare options. Read each position’s eligibility and clearance language individually.
Sources and job postings checked September 30, 2026. Project suggestions are AeroEd’s educational guidance.