US Navy’s Kratos Drones to Integrate Shield AI’s Autonomous Pilot Solution

San Diego, California-based drone software developer Shield AI announced that the U.S. Navy has tapped its artificial intelligence-based autonomous pilot solution, Hivemind, for integration into the service branch’s BQM-177A aerial target drones. 

The company will collaborate with Kratos, the drone manufacturer, on the installation of its software to provide AI-powered crewed capabilities for fleet protection. Hivemind features an AI architecture with core autonomy behaviors designed for both administrative and tactical operations and enhanced for multi-agent, collaborative tactics, Shield AI said.

The company added that its solution empowers intelligent aircraft teams to fulfill missions in challenging environments without remote operators or GPS. Similar to automobiles’ self-driving technology, Hivemind has been deployed on various types of aircraft, such as quadcopters, the F-16 and Kratos’ MQM-178 Firejet, Shield AI also disclosed. 

According to Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s president and co-founder, the BQM-177A is the eighth type of aircraft for which the company has completed Hivemind integration.  Tseng pointed out that the solution’s integration into other aircraft is “getting faster and faster” because Hivemind was deliberately designed as an open, modular platform that can be systematically deployed across U.S. military hardware.

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