Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software has successfully completed its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) flight test aboard Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A “Fury” drone prototype, part of the United States Air Force’s CCA program.
The flight, conducted over the Mojave Desert, demonstrated that Hivemind can autonomously pilot the aircraft, including executing mid-mission updates and maneuvers, marking a key step toward developing AI-enabled autonomous wingmen designed to operate alongside crewed jets. The achievement highlights progress in integrating advanced AI mission autonomy into next-generation unmanned combat aircraft systems.
Hivemind Has Flown Across Multiple Platforms:
- Anduril YFQ-44A “Fury” – A next-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone, recently flown in a flight test with Hivemind.
- Kratos BQM-177A – A Navy aerial target drone autonomously flown in tests supporting manned-unmanned teaming goals.
- General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger – A jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle flown autonomously at the Orange Flag exercise.
- Kratos MQM-178 Firejet – A high-performance target drone that Hivemind has successfully piloted.
- F-16 (X-62A “VISTA”) – Hivemind piloted a modified F-16 in simulated autonomous air combat tests.
- MQ-35A V-BAT – A vertical takeoff and landing UAS flown with Hivemind autonomy software.
- Quadcopter platforms – Early tests involved Hivemind on three different quadcopters during initial development.
Read more here.
