RTX and Shield AI have announced a new partnership aimed at integrating artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies into select defense products. The collaboration will focus on enhancing loitering munitions and sensor systems used by the United States and allied forces.
As part of the agreement, RTX plans to incorporate Shield AI’s Hivemind software into upcoming systems. Hivemind enables Networked Collaborative Autonomy (NCA), a capability designed to support real-time coordination across autonomous platforms. According to the companies, the integration will support the development of the first operational weapon system based on NCA. The project will be privately funded, without government financial involvement.
Chris Calio, Chairman and CEO of RTX, said the company sees continued value in applying AI and autonomy to its platforms. Gary Steele, CEO of Shield AI, added that combining RTX’s systems with Hivemind will offer new operational capabilities for defense forces.
In addition to Hivemind, Shield AI will incorporate its Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) software into RTX’s Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS). The goal is to provide AI-based autonomy for identifying maritime and airborne swarm threats, with an emphasis on speeding up integration for existing MTS users.
The companies also highlighted that the partnership is designed to align with the U.S. Department of Defense’s principles on responsible use of AI, including system reliability, transparency, and control.
