Shield AI and Destinus to Deploy Hivemind for Ukraine and European Defense
Shield AI has entered into a strategic partnership with Destinus, a Netherlands-based company, to integrate its Hivemind mission autonomy software into Destinus’ aerial systems. As part of this collaboration, Destinus will deploy the Hivemind software on its Ruta and Hornet platforms, alongside Shield AI’s V-BAT aircraft. This integration will enable the creation of a networked system capable of data sharing, coordinated operations, and dynamic response to real-time mission updates during flight. The companies have scheduled a joint demonstration for 2026 to showcase the interoperability between their respective platforms.
This partnership leverages technological and manufacturing expertise from both Europe and the United States. The joint initiative aims to develop an autonomy architecture that can be scaled across a range of unmanned systems. According to Shield AI, this integration seeks to accelerate the delivery of AI-enabled uncrewed systems to Ukraine, while also enhancing defense capabilities throughout Europe.
Shield AI’s Chief Technology Officer and head of the Hivemind business unit, Nathan Michael, stated: “Integrating Hivemind across diverse aircraft architectures such as Ruta, Hornet, and V-BAT demonstrates how a unified autonomy framework facilitates distributed mission execution. By enabling platforms to perceive, decide, and act collectively in real time, Hivemind delivers scalable autonomy that improves coordination, survivability, and mission success across operational environments.”
Hivemind is a modular, platform-agnostic autonomy software designed to facilitate interoperable operations between reconnaissance and strike systems within a single operational framework. The software supports human decision-makers by ensuring traceability and adherence to established command protocols.
By merging Shield AI’s proven autonomous Hivemind technology with Destinus’ large-scale manufacturing capabilities in Europe, this collaboration speeds up the deployment of AI-powered unmanned systems to Ukraine and enhances Europe’s overall defense strength.