USAF selects RTX and Shield AI to provide autonomy for first Collaborative Combat Aircraft wingmen

The U.S. Air Force has chosen RTX and Shield AI to provide autonomy "brains" for the first increment of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft wingmen, supporting prototypes including General Atomics' YFQ‑42A and Anduril's YFQ‑44A. Shield AI says its Hivemind pilot has flown on 11 aircraft, including Airbus and Kratos target drones.

Discovered 2025-09-23T07:15:57.163300-07:00 | 2025-09-23T07:15:57.163300-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Identifies the autonomy vendors for the USAF's initial CCA increment and ties directly to prototype testing, including the YFQ‑42A maiden flight.
  • Confirms operational maturity: Shield AI's Hivemind has been flown on 11 aircraft, reinforcing momentum from recent USAF AI trials for autonomous target detection.
  • Has procurement and capability implications as the service moves toward fielding lethal, networked wingmen and considers arming CCAs with AIM‑260, affecting integration, certification and supply chains.

Reported By

tectonicdefense.com news.ssbcrack.com naval-technology.com realcleardefense.com asdnews.com hartpunkt.de
Sources Tracked
12
First Seen
2025-09-23T07:15:57.163300-07:00
Latest Update
2025-09-26T07:11:41.976677-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

Hype groups these reports into one evolving story so you can compare coverage without losing the thread.

Related Coverage