Shield AI Hivemind Selected for LUCAS Drone Swarms

On 19 May 2026, the Pentagon selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto LUCAS, the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System. Hivemind will enable a single warfighter to command a coordinated swarm of one-way attack drones, with an operational demonstration scheduled for autumn 2026. At $35,000 per unit, with a confirmed combat debut on 28 February 2026 during Operation Epic Fury, LUCAS is already the most cost-efficient strike system in the American inventory. The Hivemind selection is the first time the Pentagon has attached a proven AI autonomy layer to a production-scale, combat-tested loitering munition, collapsing the cost of strike and the cost of operator overhead simultaneously.