SINGAPORE — American drone company Shield AI plans to integrate its AI-enabled software into Singapore’s manned and unmanned teaming applications to enable coordination of drone swarms.
Local companies ST Engineering and Shield AI signed a memorandum of understanding at the Singapore Air Show held here on February 5 to combine Hivemind autonomy software on various platforms manufactured by the national defense technology champion.
An ST Engineering spokesperson told Defense News that the company sees the potential to integrate Hivemind into its Manned-Unmanned Teaming Operating System (MUMTOS), which is sold on its website as a tool to balance “human judgment and machine precision.”
The open architecture system is designed to connect a wide range of unmanned platforms, including micro-drones, unmanned surface vessels, and robotic ground vehicles.
The Singapore military is experimenting with mass operations using drones. According to Singapore-based news network CNA, the military recently deployed more drones than ever in its largest overseas exercise in Australia. During Exercise Wallaby, more than 100 drones logged 560 flight hours.
Hivemind allows unmanned systems to sense and adapt while performing a mission by generating new navigation alternatives based on goals and environmental conditions. According to Shield AI, it is designed to continue operating in environments with degraded GPS and communications without continuous remote control.
The company’s V-BAT drone equipped with Hivemind has been deployed to Ukraine. AI intelligence software provides the platform with global navigation satellites (GNSS denial state estimators) that integrate sensor data and continue navigation in congested areas.
“To date, V-BAT has completed approximately 200 flights in Ukraine. [including operational and training missions] – We have identified more than 200 Russian targets in 2025 alone, and we are working with Ukrainian company Iron Belly to integrate Hivemind into a more autonomous attack platform,” said a representative from Shield AI.
Elizabeth Gosselin Maro is Defense News’ Europe correspondent. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in aviation reporting. She is based in Milan, Italy.
