Shield AI awarded U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft mission autonomy

WASHINGTON, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Shield AI, the defense technology company building the world's best autonomous solutions and next-generation aircraft, has been awarded a production contract by the U.S. Air Force to implement Hivemind mission autonomy software for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.

The production award reflects the Air Force's software-first approach to autonomy and its decision to evaluate mission autonomy as a standalone capability within the CCA program. Enabled by the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), the Air Force can rapidly iterate mission autonomy software upgrades independent of the aircraft, accelerating innovation while reducing integration costs and program risk.

"Mission autonomy is a foundational capability for future airpower," said Christian Gutierrez, senior vice president of Hivemind at Shield AI. "The Air Force's approach enables faster innovation, rapid capability deployment, and greater operational advantage for the warfighter. We're excited to continue our partnership with the Air Force to field collaborative autonomy and deliver these capabilities at scale."

By separating mission autonomy from the aircraft itself, the Air Force can integrate and upgrade software across multiple platforms without redesigning the airframe. This approach preserves competition, reduces integration risk, and enables Hivemind to be integrated across the Air Force's broader CCA ecosystem rather than being tied to a single aircraft platform.

Under the award, Shield AI will focus on implementing collaborative combat autonomy behaviors involving multiple autonomous aircraft operating together under human supervision, reducing operator workload and enabling coordinated operations at scale.

Independent of this contract award, Shield AI will continue meeting all commitments for the Air Force's mission autonomy development efforts. Earlier this year, Shield AI was selected as a mission autonomy provider for the Air Force's CCA program following a competitive evaluation supporting Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) efforts. Hivemind is currently flying aboard Anduril's YFQ-44A aircraft as part of those ongoing development efforts.

Hivemind is Shield AI's platform-agnostic, A-GRA compliant software that assumes the role of a human pilot or operator, enabling unmanned systems to sense, decide, and act. Unlike traditional autopilots that simply follow preplanned routes, Hivemind can reroute around or engage dynamic obstacles, execute collaborative tactics with peer systems and piloted aircraft, respond to unexpected conditions, and complete missions safely and effectively as part of a human-machine team.

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.

Media Contact:
Lily Hinz, [email protected]

SOURCE Shield AI