Shield AI selected to bring AI-powered swarming to LUCAS kamikaze drone program
WASHINGTON, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shield AI, the defense-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software and aircraft, today announced that the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) has selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a new class of low-cost, one-way attack drones often referred to as kamikaze drones designed to operate in large numbers.
The LUCAS program, developed by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation (ODASW(P&E)) under OUSW R&E, aims to deliver affordable mass – large numbers of low-cost systems that can be deployed together to overwhelm adversary defenses and give warfighters more capability at scale.
Hivemind will serve as the AI pilot for the LUCAS program, enabling groups of drones to coordinate, maneuver, and adapt together to changing conditions in real time, based on warfighter input. The integration will include an operational demonstration this fall, in which a single operator will command a swarm of autonomous systems operating together.
The effort marks a major step toward operationalizing collaborative autonomy: teams of autonomous systems working together in dynamic and communications-constrained environments under the supervision of a single operator.
“LUCAS is about delivering affordable mass, but mass without coordination is limited in value,” said Brandon Tseng, president and co-founder of Shield AI. “Hivemind is the AI pilot that makes that mass intelligent. It’s the autonomy layer that enables teams of drones to sense, decide, and act at scale. We’re proud to partner with OUSW R&E to put this capability in the hands of the warfighter at the speed of relevance.”
Hivemind simplifies the operation of networked unmanned systems by enabling a single operator to command multiple platforms at once for complex coordinated operations. Humans remain in control of strike decisions while autonomy manages navigation, coordination, and execution. The result shortens the time from detection to action across the kill chain.
The Hivemind AI pilot enables platforms to sense, decide, and act independently, without human intervention. Unlike traditional autopilots that cannot deviate from preplanned routes, Hivemind dynamically reroutes mission plans, responds to unexpected conditions, avoids obstacles, and executes complex tasks safely and effectively.
This selection builds on Hivemind’s proven use across U.S. and allied defense platforms, including the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program aboard Anduril’s YFQ-44A, the U.S. Navy BQM-177 test aircraft, the Airbus UH-72A Lakota helicopter, and the Destinus Hornet platform.
About Shield AI:
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
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