The partnership aims to support the U.S. Marine Corps’ Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) programme by enhancing the aircraft’s performance in contested environments. As part of the agreement, the companies will jointly test Hivemind autonomy in conjunction with Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite.
“The Lakota is a proven multi-mission platform that is ready to support unmanned operations in austere environments,” said Robert Geckle, Chairman and CEO of Airbus U.S. Space & Defense. “Pairing our aircraft with next-generation autonomy software opens new mission possibilities for the warfighter and allied forces worldwide.”
The integration effort will gradually increase the level of autonomy during future testing and demonstrations, moving toward fully unmanned logistics operations. The collaboration is set to evolve over several years, enabling more advanced autonomous flight capabilities for the Marine Corps and the wider Joint Force.
“Airbus is a world-class partner with a strong track record of delivering reliable systems for the warfighter,” said Ryan Tseng, CEO of Shield AI. “The Lakota has been a mainstay of military aviation for years—a widely-fielded, trusted platform used across a range of missions.”
Tseng added, “Integrating Hivemind onto this aircraft shows how autonomy can rapidly enhance proven systems to meet the demands of today’s missions, and it’s a key step toward fully autonomous, uncrewed logistics operations that are scalable, resilient, and built for the future fight.”
Airbus U.S. is currently in the second year of the Aerial Logistics Connector Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping Programme. This initiative provides the military with prototype aircraft for capability demonstrations through a series of operational tests and experiments.
The ALC project is part of a broader Department of Defense effort to deliver effective logistical support across distributed environments during potential peer or near-peer conflicts.
