Shield AI Deploys Hivemind with Singapore Air Force
Defense technology firm Shield AI is collaborating with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) to use its Hivemind AI pilot for sovereign unmanned systems. The partnership aims to build resilient airpower through autonomous teaming platforms. Shield AI also showcased its technology as a U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) provider at the Air Warfare Symposium.
- The collaboration's goal is to establish "sovereign autonomy," making Singapore the first foreign country with the capability to independently develop and deploy its own AI pilots using Shield AI's Hivemind software development kit (SDK). - Hivemind is not just for new drones; Shield AI has used the AI pilot to autonomously fly legacy aircraft, including successfully maneuvering an F-16 in a dogfight and flying an MQ-20 Avenger. - The company's primary hardware platform is the V-BAT, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone that has been deployed in the Black Sea and the Middle East, proving its resilience against electronic warfare attacks in contested airspace. - As a provider for the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, Shield AI is part of a major initiative to build over 1,000 autonomous drones intended to fly as robotic wingmen for crewed fighter jets. - In addition to the military partnership, major Singaporean defense firm ST Engineering also signed an agreement to integrate the Hivemind AI pilot into its own portfolio of unmanned aerial systems. - The company has seen rapid financial growth, raising $240 million in March 2025 at a $5.3 billion valuation from investors including L3Harris and Andreessen Horowitz. As of early 2026, it was reportedly seeking to raise another $1
