Shield AI Flies Navy Drones Autonomously
Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software has successfully flown two US Navy BQM-177A drones in a fully autonomous capstone event. The test showcased coordinated defensive behaviors in a Live-Virtual-Constructive environment. This achievement is a key step toward developing autonomous drone swarms for defense applications.
- The BQM-177A, manufactured by Kratos, is the U.S. Navy's primary subsonic aerial target, designed to emulate anti-ship cruise missiles for fleet training and weapons system testing. - This aerial target can achieve speeds exceeding 0.95 Mach and fly at sea-skimming altitudes as low as 6.6 feet. - The test's Live-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) environment combined the two live drones with a virtual F-18 and computer-generated adversary aircraft, allowing for complex scenarios that are difficult to replicate in purely live exercises. - Shield AI's Hivemind software is designed as an AI pilot that can operate without GPS or communications, enabling autonomous decision-making in contested environments. The BQM-177A is the seventh aircraft type that Shield AI has integrated with Hivemind. - This test is a key milestone for the Experimental Platform for Intelligent Combat (EPIC) project, a collaboration between Shield AI and the Navy's PMA-281 and PMA-208 program offices to advance manned-unmanned teaming. - Founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, San Diego-based Shield AI has raised $1.17 billion in funding at a valuation of over $5.3 billion from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, L3Harris, and Point72 Ventures. - The insights from this demonstration are intended to inform the Navy's future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concepts, which involve teaming autonomous drones with manned fighter jets. - Key competitors in the defense AI and autonomous drone space include Anduril, which also develops AI-powered defense systems, and established aerospace contractors like Lockheed Martin and RTX (formerly Raytheon).
