Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operating area on Nov. 23, 2025. The LUCAS platforms are part of a one-way attack drone squadron CENTCOM deployed to the Middle East to strengthen regional security and deterrence. (US DoD/ Courtesy Photo)
WASHINGTON — Shield AI has secured a Pentagon contract to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the new Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS) as part of a pilot program to field drone swarms, the company announced today.
“Hivemind will serve as the AI pilot for the LUCAS program, enabling groups of drones to coordinate, maneuver, and adapt together to changing conditions in real time, based on warfighter input,” the company wrote in a press release.
Once the Hivemind software is integrated into the LUCAS drones, the platforms are expected to be able to coordinate and maneuver together “independently [and] without human intervention,” the company added. However, a single human operator will be in control of any decision to strike targets.
“The result shortens the time from detection to action across the kill chain,” Shield AI wrote.
