With Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) accelerated autonomy development, enabling mission autonomy across unmanned and teaming platforms.

Background

RSAF is one of the most technologically advanced and forward-looking air forces in Southeast Asia. To stay strategically relevant in an era defined by autonomous systems, RSAF, working closely with DSTA, set out to build the foundation for mission autonomy. The goal was to create the ability to develop, test, and control autonomous systems in- house, aligned with RSAF’s Concepts of Operations (CONOPs).

To accelerate this effort, RSAF and DSTA partnered with Shield AI to use Hivemind Enterprise, an AI-powered suite of software tools for unmanned systems to operate autonomously. Together, the teams aimed to develop, test, and scale intelligent mission software that could operate across both single and teams of unmanned systems.

Challenge

RSAF and DSTA faced several key challenges in reaching their mission autonomy goals. They needed autonomous systems that could perform safely and reliably while adapting to changing mission conditions. Integrating this technology across different aircraft, flight zones, and mission types added complexity, especially when missions involved restricted airspace or rapid route changes.

Beyond the technical hurdles, RSAF and DSTA wanted to build what it calls sovereign capability — the ability to design, test, and manage its own autonomous systems without depending on foreign technology or outside expertise. This was as much about national security and self-reliance as it was about innovation.

Solution

Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise provided the framework for RSAF and DSTA’s autonomy development program. Built for speed, flexibility, and compatibility across multiple aircraft types, Hivemind allowed RSAF and DSTA engineers to quickly design, test, and refine mission behaviors using easy-to-use, production-ready tools. In 2025, RSAF and DSTA engineers began hands-on training through Hivemind’s integrated autonomy environment. During one demonstration, an Ascent SPIRIT aircraft carried out a search and rescue exercise across two flight zones separated by restricted airspace.

When the system failed to locate the object of interest, in the first zone, it automatically rerouted around the restricted area, searched the second zone, located the object of interest, and returned safely to base. The test highlighted Hivemind’s ability to plan, adapt, and complete missions independently in dynamic environments. Looking ahead, RSAF and DSTA plan to expand these capabilities by developing manned and unmanned teaming in 2026 and introduce cooperative multi-aircraft operations by 2027. Hivemind’s flexible design ensures these advancements can be deployed seamlessly across RSAF’s fleet. faster toward pilotless flight and coordinated multi aircraft

“As a fresh robotics engineering school graduate, it is hard to pick up real life autonomy skills. Hivemind’s SDK provides out of the box implementations that I can utilize right away, accelerating rapid development of autonomy.”

– Gregory Foo, RSAF Engineer

Results

The collaboration has reshaped how RSAF and DSTA develop and deploy mission autonomy. By adopting Hivemind Enterprise, RSAF and DSTA established a fully self-reliant development process that allows its engineers to design, test, and deploy autonomous mission software in Singapore. The partnership also proved Hivemind’s ability to handle real world challenges, from adapting flight paths to operating safely in complex airspace.

RSAF and DSTA are now moving faster toward pilotless flight and coordinated multi aircraft operations, reinforcing Singapore’s position as a leader in defense technology and self-sustained innovation. Through its partnership with Shield AI, RSAF and DSTA are building the foundation for the next era of intelligent airpower, where human expertise and autonomous systems work together to achieve mission success and strengthen national resilience.