Shield AI has been selected to serve as a mission autonomy provider for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program following a competitive bidding process. The company will support Technology Maturity and Risk Reduction (TMRR) efforts focused on advancing autonomous capabilities for the service’s next-generation uncrewed aircraft.
The selection builds on work already underway integrating Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software onto Anduril’s Fury (YFQ-44A) aircraft. System-level testing is currently in progress ahead of planned flight demonstrations in the coming months.
“Shield AI is proud to be named a mission autonomy provider supporting the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program,” said Gary Steele, CEO of Shield AI. “The Air Force is moving with urgency to explore how autonomy can reshape air combat, and we have spent years preparing for this—building, testing, and flying mission autonomy in the real world.”
Hivemind, the company’s core artificial intelligence software, functions as a digital pilot capable of operating uncrewed systems without human intervention. Unlike traditional autopilots that follow predetermined flight paths, Hivemind can navigate dynamic environments, respond to unexpected threats, avoid no-fly zones, and complete mission objectives autonomously.
The software is designed to be platform-agnostic and compliant with the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), a framework established to ensure interoperability across different systems. Shield AI has previously demonstrated A-GRA-aligned autonomy on various platforms, including General Atomics’ MQ-20 Avenger, Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ autonomous ecosystem, U.S. Navy BQM-177 test aircraft, and the Airbus UH-72A Lakota helicopter.
“Delivering mission autonomy in real-world combat conditions is hard, which is why Shield AI has spent more than a decade building Hivemind and the technical and operational foundation to do it right,” said Christian Gutierrez, vice president of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI. “Our team brings proven experience fielding mission-critical autonomy on complex weapon systems, deep operational understanding across domains, and a development model built for speed.”
The CCA program represents a significant shift in Air Force strategy, aiming to field uncrewed aircraft that can operate alongside crewed fighters like the F-35 and future Next Generation Air Dominance platforms. These collaborative aircraft are expected to serve as force multipliers, carrying sensors and weapons while autonomous systems handle complex mission tasks.
Shield AI’s selection adds the company to a growing ecosystem of defense contractors working to bring autonomous capabilities to operational use. The company’s focus on real-world testing and operational experience positions it to contribute to the Air Force’s accelerated timeline for fielding CCA capabilities.
“We value the opportunity to work with the U.S. Air Force on the future of mission autonomy,” Gutierrez added.
