Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Shield AI Partner to integrate autonomy on unmanned Aerial Logistics Connector

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and Shield AI announced a teaming agreement to integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software on the Airbus MQ-72C Logistics Connector, an unmanned variant of the UH-72 Lakota. The collaboration will expand the platform’s mission capabilities through autonomy-enabled operations across a wide range of logistics and operational scenarios—including those under the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program.

Under the agreement, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and Shield AI will test Hivemind autonomy in collaboration with Airbus’ Helionix, advancing the future autonomous mission capabilities of the Marine Corps. The level of autonomy will be scaled during future test activities and demonstrations, ultimately leading to unmanned operations in contested logistics environments.

“The Lakota is a proven multi-mission platform that is ready to support unmanned operations in austere environments,” said Robert Geckle, Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense. “Pairing our aircraft with next-generation autonomy software opens new mission possibilities for the warfighter and allied forces worldwide.”

The effort will continue to evolve missionization over the next several years, ultimately enabling more advanced levels of autonomous flight across the Marine Corps and broader Joint Force.

“Airbus is a world-class partner with a strong track record of delivering reliable systems for the warfighter,” said Ryan Tseng, CEO of Shield AI. “The Lakota has been a mainstay of military aviation for years—a widely-fielded, trusted platform used across a range of missions. Integrating Hivemind onto this aircraft shows how autonomy can rapidly enhance proven systems to meet the demands of today’s missions, and it’s a key step toward fully autonomous, uncrewed logistics operations that are scalable, resilient, and built for the future fight.”

The Airbus U.S. team is entering the second year of the Aerial Logistics Connector Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping Program, which aims to provide the service with aircraft prototypes to demonstrate capabilities to the warfighter through a series of operational demonstrations and experiments.

The Aerial Logistics Connector effort is one of several efforts across the Department of Defense to deliver logistical support in distributed environments during peer or near- peer conflicts.