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Shield AI has been selected as an autonomous provider for the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
The selection of Shield AI for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program demonstrates the deep-tech company’s successful development in autonomous, artificial intelligence that can support advanced military operations.
The program will see Shield AI’s Hivemind software being integrated to Anduril’s Fury (YFQ-44A) aircraft to support autonomous flight testing capabilities.
Shield AI CEO Gary Steele said the company is proud to be a part of a program that will transform the way the military operates in the face of changing warfare techniques.
“The Air Force is moving with urgency to explore how autonomy can reshape air combat, and we have spent years preparing for this – building, testing and flying mission autonomy in the real world,” Steele said.
“We will work relentlessly to deliver and to help advance the next era of airpower alongside the Air Force and its industry partners.”
The CCA program seeks to “prioritise speed, innovation and a software-first mindset” in regard to emerging technologies and how they can assist the Air Force’s new approaches to addressing modern threats.
Hivemind is the primary AI software Shield AI offers and replicates a human pilot operating an unmanned defence system to make decisions and act accordingly to threats.
The company said this system is unlike other autopilot systems, as Hivemind can reroute in no-fly zones, engage with obstacles, and respond to untraditional situations and conditions.
“Delivering mission autonomy in real-world combat conditions is hard, which is why Shield AI has spent more than a decade building Hivemind and the technical and operational foundation to do it right,” said Christian Gutierrez, vice president of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI.
The CCA program operates under the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture framework, which aims to establish a centralised, universal standard of mission autonomy.
The Air Force said this allows for more efficient onboarding of new software and technologies to respond quickly to changing needs and requirements.
