Shield AI, the deep-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software products and aircraft, has announced its selection as a mission autonomy provider supporting the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Shield AI was selected following a competitive evaluation to support mission autonomy Technology Maturity and Risk Reduction (TMRR) efforts.
Under the program, Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software has successfully integrated on Anduril’s Fury (YFQ-44A) aircraft and is supporting system-level testing in preparation for flight demonstrations expected in the coming months.
Gary Steele, CEO of Shield AI, stated that the company is proud to be named a mission autonomy provider for the CCA program. He noted that the Air Force is moving with urgency to explore how autonomy can reshape air combat, and Shield AI has spent years preparing—building, testing, and flying mission autonomy in the real world. He added that the company will work relentlessly to deliver and help advance the next era of airpower alongside the Air Force and its industry partners.
Hivemind is Shield AI’s core artificial intelligence software that assumes the role of a human pilot or operator, enabling unmanned defense systems to sense, decide, and act. Unlike traditional autopilots that simply follow preplanned routes, Hivemind can reroute around no-fly zones, avoid or engage obstacles, respond to unexpected conditions, and complete missions safely and effectively without human intervention.
Christian Gutierrez, Vice President of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI, stated that delivering mission autonomy in real-world combat conditions is hard, which is why Shield AI has spent more than a decade building Hivemind. He noted that the team brings proven experience fielding mission-critical autonomy on complex weapon systems, deep operational understanding, and a development model built for speed. Hivemind is A-GRA compliant, platform-agnostic, and has demonstrated autonomy across multiple efforts including General Atomics’ MQ-20 Avenger, Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ, U.S. Navy BQM-177, and Airbus UH-72A Lakota.
