For the first time, the U.S. Air Force’s partly autonomous drones flew in formation and carried out air combat maneuvers, marking a significant milestone for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Shield’s Hivemind autonomy software supported multiple Collaborative Combat Aircraft, known as CCAs, as they flew in a “multi-ship” formation. The aircraft also executed counterair tactics beyond visual range, according to a recent company release.
The exercise took place on Oct. 26, but the release did not identify how many aircraft participated. It also did not specify which CCA took part in the demonstration.
The milestone centered on the integration of the aircraft, their mission systems and the Hivemind software that “runs” CCA flights. Shield described the exercise as evidence that those elements are reaching a new point in their integration.
“We are excited that the aircraft and mission systems are reaching a level of integration to start showing what Hivemind can really do,” Todd Wesley, vice president of Hivemind engineering at Shield, said in the announcement.
According to the statement, each flight produces data that contributes to a software release. That process supports decisions regarding continued testing and the eventual fielding of the systems.
The software process is also moving toward a faster cycle between missions. Shield said the Air Force is nearing the ability to complete a sortie, revise the software overnight and return to flight the following day.
“The combined Hivemind and aircraft software release process is nearing the point where the Air Force can fly a sortie, update the software overnight and fly again the next day,” Wesley said. “I’m grateful to the Air Force operators, engineers and test teams who fly with us and help us build trust on every flight.”
The formation demonstration arrives as the Air Force pursues a much larger partly autonomous combat fleet. The service has announced its intention to field 500 systems ready for combat by 2032, with an overall fleet of 1,000.
The CCA program also received substantial attention in the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request. That request included $996.5 million in procurement funding and another $150 million in advanced procurement for the following fiscal year.
The request additionally included $1.37 billion for continued research and development. Together, those funding lines brought the total program request to $2.37 billion.
Shield’s latest milestone followed another CCA program demonstration involving an F-22 Raptor and a YFQ-44A. Last month, the F-22 completed airborne tactical command and control of the YFQ-44A while both aircraft were in flight.
During that demonstration, the F-22 served as a “quarterback” and issued broad directives to the CCA built by Anduril. The event showed a crewed aircraft exercising tactical command over the partly autonomous platform while airborne.
The Oct. 26 formation exercise placed Hivemind at the center of coordinated operations among multiple CCAs. Although Shield did not reveal the number or type of aircraft involved, the demonstration included both formation flight and counterair tactics beyond visual range.
At the same time, Shield AI is expanding its capabilities in unmanned systems through a major corporate transaction. The company announced last week that it would acquire Echodyne in a transaction valued at $5.3 billion.
Echodyne can produce next generation solid state radar systems, and the acquisition was described as supporting Shield AI’s expansion into different areas of unmanned systems. Shield AI’s chief executive said the purchase supports that broader aim.
The formation flight, combat maneuvers and accelerating software process together represent the latest reported progress for Hivemind and the CCA program. Each new flight provides more data for software releases while Air Force operators, engineers and test teams continue working with Shield.