The Pentagon has selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS). The LUCAS program focuses on a new class of low-cost, one-way attack drones designed to operate in large numbers.

The integration will include an operational demonstration this fall, during which a single operator will command a swarm of these autonomous systems. Developed by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation, the LUCAS program aims to deliver affordable mass. By deploying large numbers of low-cost systems together, the military intends to overwhelm adversary defenses and increase capability at scale.

Hivemind will serve as the AI pilot for the program. The software enables groups of drones to coordinate, maneuver, and adapt to changing conditions in real time based on warfighter input. 

This effort represents a step toward operationalizing collaborative autonomy, where teams of unmanned systems work together in dynamic and communications-constrained environments under 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.”

Simplifying networked unmanned systems

The software simplifies the operation of networked unmanned systems by allowing one operator to command multiple platforms simultaneously for coordinated operations.

While the autonomy manages navigation, coordination, and execution, humans remain in control of all strike decisions. This division of labor shortens the time from target detection to action across the kill chain.

Unlike traditional autopilots that follow fixed, preplanned routes, Hivemind allows platforms to sense, decide, and act independently without continuous human intervention. 

The system dynamically reroutes mission plans, responds to unexpected battlefield conditions, avoids obstacles, and executes tasks in environments where communications may be degraded.

This selection cements Shield AI’s position as a major player in the military’s shift toward collaborative autonomy, especially in environments where enemy electronic warfare might jam standard communications.

A strong expansion

“We’re proud to partner with OUSW R&E to put this capability in the hands of the warfighter at the speed of relevance,” concluded Tseng.

The LUCAS contract builds on a string of recent integration wins for the Hivemind software across several prominent US and allied military platforms, including the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program aboard Anduril’s YFQ-44A, the US Navy’s BQM-177 test aircraft, the Airbus UH-72B Lakota helicopter, and the Destinus Hornet platform.

The expansion follows Shield AI’s 2025 unveiling of X-BAT, a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter jet platform designed for expeditionary and maritime operations in contested environments.

Powered by Hivemind, the runway-independent aircraft is engineered to fly in communications-denied and degraded environments. The platform is designed to combine VTOL capability with a range of more than 2,000 nautical miles under full mission payload, allowing theater-scale operations from ships, islands, and remote sites.

The company states the aircraft will be capable of conducting strike, counter-air, electronic warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.