Pentagon taps Shield AI for low-cost drone program as Iran war accelerates demand for cheap drones
The U.S. government is partnering with defense tech startup Shield AI as it looks for cheaper drones amid rising materials costs in the war with Iran.
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said Tuesday it will integrate Shield AI’s autonomous Hivemind software into low-cost uncrewed combat attack systems, or LUCAS drones.
Shield AI said the software allows the military to coordinate and adapt swarms of LUCAS drones in fast-changing battlefield conditions, and lets platforms operate and make decisions without human intervention.
The U.S. is increasingly adopting new technology in the conflict with Iran, as low-cost Shahed drones destroy expensive systems and reshape warfare. Defense companies including Shield AI have proposed solutions, but most have not been deployed at scale. LUCAS is a key exception, and the government plans to buy more after its use in Iran.
The $35,000 LUCAS drone, made by Arizona-based SpektreWorks, is a copy of Iranian drones that have struck data centers, embassies, and airports.
Brandon Tseng, co-founder and president of Shield, expects cheaper military systems like LUCAS, powered by AI, to eventually overtake legacy systems in the military’s arsenal, although that transition could take well over a decade.
Hivemind is Shield AI’s flagship autonomy platform, acting as an AI pilot. Its customers include the U.S. government, defense contractors, and the Indian Army. It has also been integrated on one-way attack drones in Ukraine and completed its first flight test on Anduril Industries combat drones in February.
Tseng expects it to be fully functional within two months, after which it will undergo military testing.
