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Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomous software has successfully completed its first test flight as part of the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
The successful flight builds on Shield AI’s recent selection into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program that seeks to “prioritise speed, innovation and a software-first mindset” to emerging technologies that can be utilised in air defence.
The test flights took place over the Mojave Desert in California and was a demonstration of the effectiveness of Shield AI’s primary software, Hivemind.
Hivemind reportedly met all requirements to prove full integration and mission autonomy aboard Anduril’s YFQ-44A aircraft. The system handled mid-mission updates and carried out initial operational behaviours without issue.
“This flight test showcases the potential of airpower built on mission autonomy,” said Christian Gutierrez, vice president of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI.
“Across platforms, domains and environments, Hivemind provides resilient mission autonomy, proving that software is central to the future of airpower.
“Our collaboration with Anduril reflects a new era of defence acquisition, where autonomy is treated as a foundational warfighting capability on par with the aircraft itself,” Gutierrez said.
The CCA program further aims to set a new universal standard of autonomous missions through the implementation of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture.
This framework is an “open systems” approach that will see the integration of effective, interchangeable technology.
The Hivemind software uses AI to replicate the actions and decisions of a human pilot operating an unmanned defence system.
It can reroute in no-fly zones, engage with obstacles and respond to untraditional situations and conditions.
