US firm Shield AI and Australian defense technology company Innovaero Technologies have teamed up to enhance the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) strike capabilities with autonomous loitering munitions.
Under a memorandum of understanding, Shield AI will equip Innovaero’s Australia-designed One-Way Loitering (OWL) family of precision munitions with its Hivemind autonomy software.
The pairing will help the ADF plan and execute missions faster, as well as coordinate multiple aircraft and operate when GPS or communications are degraded, while giving “Australia greater control over how that autonomy is developed, tested and fielded,” according to Adam Hogan, VP of Hivemind for Australia, Asia and the Middle East at Shield AI.
Hivemind has been installed on the Australian company’s OWL-B ahead of upcoming flight tests. The system is being used to simulate coordinated multi-agent strike operations in dynamic scenarios, with operators directing missions via the Android Team Awareness Kit tactical interface.
Citing Hivemind’s track record of having been integrated across a range of platforms, Innovaero CEO Greg Tunny described Shield AI as “an ideal partner.”
“Together, we are accelerating an Australian-designed capability while preserving Australia’s control over its critical defence technologies,” he added.
Hivemind Autonomy Software
Shield AI’s Hivemind is a platform-agnostic digital “brain” that can dynamically reroute mission plans, avoid obstacles, respond to unexpected conditions, and execute complex tasks.
The AI-powered software supports platform autonomy when communications are denied, degraded, intermittent, or limited.
Hivemind has been tested and integrated with several aerial platforms, including Airbus’ H145 helicopter, Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ modular testbed, the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and the US Navy’s BQM-177A target drone.
Moreover, its integration into Destinus’ Hornet loitering munitions involved teams from Australia supporting flight tests in Spain.
Alongside aerial systems, the autonomy software has proven its capability on water and in orbit.