Shield AI, ST Engineering Join Forces on Fine-Tuning Drone Swarms

Why It Matters

The partnership fast‑tracks AI‑driven swarm capabilities for Asia‑Pacific militaries, boosting autonomous strike and reconnaissance options in contested airspaces. It also underscores growing demand for open‑architecture, interoperable unmanned systems across allied defense markets.

Key Takeaways

• Shield AI and ST Engineering sign AI swarm MoU
• Hivemind integrates with ST’s MUMTOS open‑architecture system
• Enables GPS‑denied, autonomous drone swarm missions
• Singapore deployed 100+ drones, 560 flight hours in Exercise Wallaby
• V‑BAT completed 200 Ukraine flights, identified 200 Russian targets

Pulse Analysis

The Shield AI‑ST Engineering alliance reflects a broader shift toward modular, AI‑centric warfare platforms. By marrying Hivemind’s adaptive navigation algorithms with ST’s open‑architecture MUMTOS, the duo creates a plug‑and‑play framework that can be layered onto existing air, sea and ground assets. This approach reduces integration costs and accelerates fielding, allowing defense ministries to upgrade legacy fleets without wholesale replacement. Moreover, the ability to operate in GPS‑denied environments addresses a critical vulnerability in modern contested battlespaces, where adversaries increasingly rely on jamming and spoofing tactics.

Singapore’s recent Exercise Wallaby showcased the practical appetite for such capabilities. Deploying more than a hundred drones and accumulating 560 flight hours, the Singapore Armed Forces demonstrated both the logistical feasibility and tactical value of large‑scale swarm operations. The integration of Hivemind will enhance situational awareness, enabling drones to autonomously re‑route, prioritize targets, and coordinate with manned aircraft in real time. This synergy between human judgment and machine precision is central to the emerging manned‑unmanned teaming doctrine, which seeks to extend the reach and survivability of pilots while leveraging the speed and persistence of autonomous systems.

Globally, the market for AI‑enabled unmanned swarms is expanding rapidly, driven by heightened security concerns and the need for cost‑effective force multiplication. Shield AI’s proven track record in Ukraine—where its V‑BAT platform completed 200 missions and identified over 200 hostile targets—provides a compelling use case for allies seeking immediate operational impact. As regional powers in Southeast Asia modernize their forces, the Shield‑ST partnership positions both firms to capture a sizable share of defense contracts, while setting a benchmark for interoperable, open‑source swarm technology that can be adapted across diverse threat environments.

Shield AI, ST Engineering join forces on fine-tuning drone swarms

By Elisabeth Gosselin‑Malo · Europe correspondent, Defense News · Published February 5 2026

SINGAPORE — American drone company Shield AI plans to integrate its AI‑enabled software into Singaporean manned‑unmanned‑teaming applications, enabling the coordination of drone swarms.

Local firm ST Engineering and Shield AI signed a memorandum of understanding at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 5 to combine the Hivemind autonomy software on different platforms manufactured by the national defence‑tech champion.

An ST Engineering spokesperson told Defense News the company sees possibilities for integrating Hivemind into its manned‑unmanned‑teaming operating system, or MUMTOS, marketed on the firm’s website as a tool for balancing “human judgment and machine precision.”

The open‑architecture system is designed to connect a wide range of unmanned platforms, such as micro‑drones, unmanned surface vessels, and robotic ground vehicles.

The Singaporean Armed Forces have been experimenting with collective drone operations. During its largest overseas exercise in Australia recently, the military deployed the largest number of drones in its history, according to the Singapore‑based news network CNA. Over 100 drones logged 560 flight hours during Exercise Wallaby.

Hivemind allows unmanned systems to sense and adapt while executing missions by generating new navigation alternatives based on targets and environmental conditions. According to Shield AI, it is designed to continue operating in a GPS‑ or communications‑degraded environment without constant remote control.

The company’s V‑BAT drone equipped with Hivemind has been deployed in Ukraine. The AI‑intelligence software provides the platform with a global navigation satellite, or GNSS‑denied state estimator, that merges sensor data to continue navigation in jammed areas.

“To date, V‑BAT has completed about 200 flights in Ukraine [including operational and training missions] – in 2025 alone, it identified more than 200 Russian targets, and we are working with Ukrainian company Iron Belly to integrate Hivemind onto more autonomous strike platforms,” a Shield AI representative said.

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About Elisabeth Gosselin‑Malo

Elisabeth Gosselin‑Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.