Shield AI has secured a U.S. Air Force production contract to deploy its Hivemind autonomy software as part of the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, marking a key step in the military’s effort to field autonomous wingmen alongside crewed fighters.

The award reflects the Air Force’s effort to build a common autonomy software foundation that can be integrated across multiple Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs instead of being developed for a single platform. Officials believe that approach can accelerate upgrades, lower integration costs, and allow new capabilities to reach operational units faster.

Shield AI’s Hivemind software will support the Air Force’s vision for autonomous aircraft that can operate in coordination with human pilots while handling increasingly complex missions.

Software-centric autonomy strategy

The Air Force has adopted a software-first model for its future autonomous fleet. Under this framework, mission autonomy software can evolve independently from the aircraft carrying it.

That separation allows developers to introduce new capabilities without redesigning airframes or modifying platform-specific hardware. The approach also enables the service to evaluate autonomy solutions on their own merits while preserving competition across the broader CCA ecosystem.

Christian Gutierrez, senior vice president of Hivemind at Shield AI, said mission autonomy will play a central role in future airpower operations. “The Air Force’s approach enables faster innovation, rapid capability deployment, and greater operational advantage for the warfighter,” Gutierrez said.

He added that Shield AI plans to continue working closely with the service to deliver collaborative autonomy capabilities at scale.

Multi-aircraft teaming focus

Under the production contract, Shield AI will concentrate on collaborative combat behaviors involving multiple autonomous aircraft operating together under human supervision. The company aims to reduce operator workload while enabling larger groups of unmanned systems to coordinate actions during missions.

Such capabilities could become increasingly important as the Air Force expands its use of autonomous platforms in contested environments. Rather than simply following predetermined routes, Hivemind allows unmanned aircraft to adapt to changing conditions.

The software can adjust flight paths, react to emerging threats, coordinate with nearby aircraft, and support mission objectives without constant operator input. The company says the platform is designed to function as a digital pilot, helping autonomous systems make decisions in real time while remaining part of a broader human-machine team.

Expanding CCA development

The latest award builds on Shield AI’s existing involvement in the Air Force’s CCA efforts. Earlier this year, the company earned selection as a mission autonomy provider during the program’s Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase. That work continues alongside the new production effort.

Hivemind is currently flying aboard Anduril’s YFQ-44A aircraft, one of the platforms supporting ongoing CCA development activities. The Air Force views collaborative combat aircraft as a cornerstone of its future force structure.

By pairing autonomous aircraft with crewed fighters, the service hopes to increase combat capacity, extend operational reach, and provide commanders with more flexible options during future conflicts. As development advances, software platforms such as Hivemind are expected to play a critical role in determining how effectively autonomous aircraft operate alongside human pilots.

The U.S. Army has awarded defense and technology company Palladyne AI two contracts to test its AI-powered swarm software and reusable strike drone with soldiers during field exercises in Colorado and California.

The contracts, awarded under the Army’s Disruptive Applications Broad Agency Announcement, will support operational validation of the company’s SwarmOS autonomy platform and the Gremlin-X unmanned aerial vehicle.

The technologies will be evaluated by soldiers from the Army’s 4th Infantry Division during reconnaissance and target acquisition exercises. Palladyne AI said the demonstrations will use Army-specified platforms and the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a command-and-control system widely used by U.S. forces.

The effort reflects the Army’s growing interest in autonomous systems that can operate in environments where communications are limited or disrupted.

One operator, many drones

SwarmOS is an autonomy software stack designed to allow a single operator to control multiple autonomous systems from different manufacturers at the same time.

According to the Utah-based company, the software runs on edge hardware and is designed to function in degraded or denied communications environments. Rather than relying on centralized control infrastructure, the platform enables autonomous systems to coordinate with one another while operating in the field.

“The hardest problem in autonomous systems isn’t making one platform smart, it’s making heterogeneous platforms from different manufacturers collaborate intelligently without dependence on centralized infrastructure that adversaries can target and defeat,” said Dr. Denis Garagic, Chief Technology Officer and Principal Investigator, Palladyne AI.

He added: “We solved that.”

The Army exercises will evaluate how the software supports reconnaissance and target acquisition missions while integrating with existing military command-and-control tools.

Reusable strike drone

The second technology being tested is Gremlin-X, a Group 2 multirotor drone being developed as a reusable loitering munition.

Unlike traditional loitering munitions that are typically lost after striking a target, Gremlin-X is designed to return and be recovered after a mission. The company said this approach could reduce costs because only the munition payload would need replacement rather than the entire aircraft.

Gremlin-X is intended to operate in denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited communications environments, often referred to as DDIL conditions. The drone is being developed to support small, dispersed military formations that may need to engage targets without relying on centralized command networks.

Beyond the 4th Infantry Division exercises, Palladyne AI plans to demonstrate SwarmOS, IntelliSwarm, and Gremlin-X during Northern Strike 26-2, a large U.S. military training exercise involving more than 9,000 participants.

“This contract marks a decisive shift in how the U.S. Army is engaging with autonomous systems, moving from evaluation to funded operational use in the field,” said Doug Dynes, President of Palladyne Aerospace and Defense.

The company said the demonstrations will help validate the technologies in operational settings and could support future defense opportunities as the military continues exploring autonomous systems, drone swarms, and human-machine teaming concepts for battlefield operations.

Kelly Hammett’s departure comes as the Space Rapid Capabilities Office is being realigned under the Space Force

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The U.S. Navy has awarded defense technology startup Castelion its first production contract for the Blackbeard hypersonic missile. This $23.4 million deal includes 50 pre-production missiles and shows the Navy is ready to move the program past development and testing.

This contract comes as the Pentagon looks for faster, more affordable hypersonic weapons for long-range strikes. For Castelion, it is the first step toward making Blackbeard at a scale that could support future military missions.

Navy moves Blackbeard toward operational service

The contract helps further develop the Blackbeard weapon system and expands manufacturing at Castelion’s Project Ranger site in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Blackbeard is designed to be a low-cost, easy-to-produce hypersonic missile capable of exceeding Mach 5, or over 3,800 mph (6,100 km/h). At these speeds, it can cover long distances quickly and is much harder to intercept than traditional weapons.

Most of the work for this contract will happen in Rio Rancho, with some activities in Torrance, California. Castelion expects to finish the work in 2027.

This new contract shows increasing confidence in the program as it moves from flight testing to limited production and future deployment.

“Blackbeard was designed from the beginning to support our nation’s conventional deterrence,” Castelion Co-Founder and CEO Bryon Hargis said in a press statement.

“This award reflects the Navy’s continued commitment to rapidly advancing affordable, manufacturable long-range strike capability and moving Blackbeard toward early operational use.”

Series of major contracts accelerates program

This production contract comes after several major government deals Castelion has won this year.

In February, the company received a contract worth almost $50 million to accelerate development and produce prototypes of the Blackbeard system. This funding was intended to support testing and prepare the program for future needs.

Two months later, in April, Castelion landed another big contract worth $107 million. This deal aims to integrate Blackbeard with the Navy’s F/A-18 fighter jets, giving the missile more ways to be used.

These back-to-back contracts show the program is gaining momentum as the Navy looks for new ways to use hypersonic weapons on different platforms.

Expanding launch options beyond aircraft

The company is also working on new ways to launch Blackbeard, which could make it more flexible in operations.

The company has teamed up with defense tech firm Saronic to put the missile on the Marauder unmanned surface vessel. They plan a demonstration in 2027, which could be the first time a hypersonic weapon is launched from an unmanned surface ship.

If the test works, it will show a new way to use hypersonic weapons from unmanned naval platforms, without needing a crew.

Project Ranger becomes production hub

To support its long-term manufacturing plans, the defense firm has put over $250 million into Project Ranger, its large production campus in New Mexico.

The facility covers about 1,000 acres (405 hectares) and is the main site for Castelion’s push to make hypersonic weapons more cheaply and in bigger numbers than traditional methods. The new Navy contract will help grow production at the site and support the delivery of the first 50 pre-production missiles.

Europe-based ArianeGroup has unveiled a new family of strike weapons with ballistic and hypersonic delivery vehicles. The team behind the strike weapons includes Soframe and Thales, which are also developing the X-Fire rocket system.

The B-Strike weapon will come in two variants, one capable of hitting targets up to 621 miles (1,000 kilometers), and the other an extended-range version with a range of 1,553 miles (2,500 km). The missile family was unveiled at Eurosatory 2026.

B-Strike weapon suite capabilities

The ballistic missiles aim to provide Europe with indigenous deep-strike capabilities that can foil advanced defenses and engage targets from an extended range. Reports state that both versions of the missile would include maneuverable reentry vehicles (MaRVs).

Moreover, the 1,553-mile-range variant could also incorporate hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) that can enhance the survivability of the weapon against modern air defense systems. Although yet to be tested, the preliminary figures state that the 621-mile-range version would have a flight time of less than 10 minutes, and it will be approximately 15 minutes for the other.

The company says that both missiles could be deployed by the X-Fire launcher. Soframe developed the X-Fire launcher in partnership with Thales; it is mounted on the proven Daimler Truck Zetros platform.

The two missiles will complement the FLP-t 150, a 93-mile (150 kilometers) range munition, which ArianeGroup has developed with Thales. The 93-mile-range missile system is designed to meet the requirements of the French forces for high-intensity combat.

According to reports, the companies are ready to move quickly into the testing phase. They are pitching the missile to the French procurement agency, the DGA, to start the program.

More about FLP-t 150 and French M51 missiles

In May 2026, Thales and ArianeGroup successfully conducted the first firing of the new ballistic munition FLP-t 150. It had been carried out with support from the Missile Testing Division of the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA EM) at the Ile du Levant test site.

While Thales was responsible for the overall system, including the ground launcher, fire control, and launch system, ArianeGroup developed the propulsion and guidance systems for the munition.

The missile has the ability to reach supersonic speeds, and its propulsion, guidance, and control are derived from ballistic missile systems.

Moreover, ArianeGroup is also the prime industrial contractor for the M51 intercontinental ballistic missile system on behalf of the French DGA for the French Navy. The M51 is a sea–surface submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) with a length of 39 feet (12 meters) and a weight of over 55 tons (50 metric tons).

The missile can be launched from a submerged French nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). It reaches a top speed of Mach 20 upon re-entering the atmosphere and serves as the naval pillar of France’s nuclear deterrent force.

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At the Eurosatory 2026 defense exposition, Franco-German defense consortium KNDS officially introduced its Long-Range Artillery System (LORAS), a 155mm self-propelled howitzer featuring a barrel longer than any current NATO production standard.

Engineered to push the boundaries of conventional unguided fire, the system achieves a baseline range of exactly 60 kilometers (37 miles) using standard, non-rocket-assisted high-explosive ammunition.

The strategic design goal is to provide frontline units with deep-strike capabilities while completely avoiding the high financial costs associated with specialized precision-guided or rocket-assisted projectile (RAP) munitions.

The physical architecture of the LORAS platform represents a collaborative integration of French and German armored vehicle technology. The base vehicle uses a tracked variant of the Boxer armored chassis, paired with KNDS Germany’s fully automated, unmanned Artillery Gun Module (AGM) turret.

Housed within this remote turret is the system’s core innovation: a specialized 58-caliber gun tube developed and manufactured by KNDS France at its specialized metallurgy facilities in Bourges.

Overcoming internal ballistic wear bottleneck

Increasing the length of an artillery barrel historically creates severe engineering bottlenecks, particularly in managing internal pressure and preventing rapid barrel wear. As the length moves from the current European standard of 52 calibers up to 58 calibers, the friction and thermal stress generated by expanding propellant gases can rapidly degrade the interior rifling of the gun tube.

To mitigate this issue, KNDS engineers designed a significantly larger internal combustion chamber compared to previous long-range experimental platforms, such as the U.S. Army’s canceled Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program.

According to technical specifications released by KNDS France, this enlarged chamber volume creates a much gentler internal pressure curve during detonation. This design choice maintains high muzzle velocity while minimizing destructive thermal erosion inside the tube.

To safely feed this system, KNDS overhauled the automated ammunition-handling layout. While the mechanism borrows mechanical components from the proven Panzerhaubitze 2000, the overall electronics, internal sensors, and modular charge loaders are entirely new.

Custom ammunition ecosystem

To achieve its targeted 37-mile range, the LORAS howitzer requires a distinct propulsion configuration. The system accommodates up to eight modular propellant charges simultaneously, outclassing the six-charge maximum limit of the wheeled Caesar system.

While the 58-caliber barrel remains fully backward-compatible with legacy 52-caliber NATO ammunition, firing older rounds will not yield the extended range benefits. Consequently, KNDS France is self-funding the development of a complete family of proprietary 58-caliber conventional shells, spanning high-explosive, smoke, and illumination variants.

Looking forward, KNDS has already conducted successful live-fire trials using an early prototype layout. While the program is currently self-funded, it received early design validation from France’s Directorate General for Armament (DGA).

Project managers state that while the barrel can theoretically hit ranges of 100 kilometers when paired with future ramjet or precision-gliding shells, the company is prioritizing standard unguided munitions to keep high-volume artillery operations economically sustainable. KNDS targets full serial manufacturing readiness for the system between 2032 and 2035.

Australia is accelerating efforts to protect frontline troops from the growing threat of small drones, awarding a contract to defense technology firm OpenWorks under the Australian Defence Force’s Land 156 counter-drone program.

The company will supply its Vision Guard intelligent optics system for evaluation as part of the ADF’s AU$1.3 billion initiative to strengthen defenses against uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Military planners intend to use the compact platform as an early-warning capability for dismounted soldiers operating in contested environments.

The move reflects a broader shift among Western militaries toward distributed counter-drone systems. Recent conflicts have highlighted how inexpensive commercial and military-grade drones can threaten troops far from traditional air defense coverage.

Frontline use

OpenWorks designed Vision Guard to give soldiers rapid situational awareness without adding significant weight to their equipment. The system combines panoramic surveillance with artificial intelligence-driven detection software to identify and track small drones at extended distances.

Operators can deploy the system in less than two minutes, allowing units to establish surveillance positions quickly. OpenWorks says troops can carry the core equipment and supporting sensors inside a standard military backpack.

The platform supports multiple sensor configurations. Users can integrate active and passive detection technologies, including radar and acoustic sensors, depending on mission requirements. OpenWorks’ software then fuses data from those sensors to improve detection accuracy and reduce operator workload.

The company developed the system with strict size, weight, and power requirements in mind. That approach allows small units to operate independently while maintaining awareness of nearby aerial threats.

AI-powered drone detection

At the center of Vision Guard is OpenWorks’ proprietary artificial intelligence engine. The software analyzes incoming sensor data and automatically classifies potential threats. The system focuses on detecting and identifying Class 1 drones, which are among the smallest categories of military and commercial unmanned aircraft.

Despite their size, these drones have become a persistent battlefield challenge because they are inexpensive, difficult to detect, and increasingly capable. By providing early warning, Vision Guard aims to give troops additional time to respond before a drone can conduct surveillance or deliver an attack.

Defense organizations across Europe and the United States have already tested or deployed the technology. The system also participated in Project Vanaheim, a joint U.K.-U.S. experimentation effort that examined future approaches to interoperable counter-drone operations.

Growing counter-drone demand

The Australian contract comes as militaries worldwide increase investment in layered counter-UAS networks. Rather than relying solely on large strategic assets, defense planners increasingly seek portable systems that can move with frontline forces.

James Cross, chief commercial officer at OpenWorks, said the company recognizes the responsibility associated with supporting the Australian military’s modernization efforts. He described Vision Guard as a compact system designed to improve situational awareness for dispersed units. Cross added that OpenWorks is proud to support Australia’s efforts to strengthen counter-drone capabilities.

As drone threats continue to evolve, defense programs such as Land 156 are expected to play a key role in shaping the next generation of battlefield surveillance and force protection technologies.