Software Engineering Intern

Poland buys V-BAT drones to boost Baltic Sea naval operations. WARSAW, Poland - The Polish Ministry of National Defence has awarded a contract to U.S. California-based defense technology firm Shield AI to buy its V-BAT drone for Poland's Navy. The development comes shortly after Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the company has offered Poland a role in its X-BAT autonomous vertical-takeoff fighter jet program, including some of the manufacturing activities for the craft. Shield AI said in a statement that the V-BAT will be deployed aboard a Polish Navy vessel, ensuring maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support to the force. "V-BAT has proven its capabilities in Ukraine and beyond, particularly in environments where communications and GPS links are disrupted or denied," Ryan Tseng, Shield AI's president, co-founder and chief strategy officer, was quoted in the statement. "Operations in the Baltic Sea, where security threats against critical energy and communications infrastructure are becoming more frequent, demand reliable sensor platforms and systems in all-weather conditions and sea states." The Armament Agency, the Polish ministry's procurement arm, said in a statement that "the delivery of the system, which comprises several platforms, is planned for later in 2026." The deal puts Poland in line to become the first country on NATO's eastern flank to acquire the drone. Warsaw will join other operators, including Greece and the Netherlands, as well as the U.S. Navy and the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, according to data from Shield AI. "In addition to the aircraft themselves, the V-BAT system comes with ground control stations, antennas, spares, and maintenance equipment, and other operating equipment needed to maintain operational readiness," a spokesperson for Shield AI told Defense News. The spokesperson said that "Shield AI is actively pursuing partnerships with Polish industry to support future autonomy, aviation, and defense programs. We look forward to expanding our engagement with Poland and sharing additional details in the coming months." Since 2025, when Poland launched the Drone Force, its latest military component, the country has accelerated purchases of various classes of unmanned systems. Last month, the nation also joined the Pentagon's counter-drone initiative to gain access to a marketplace that connects partner countries with emerging technology suppliers.

Shield AI selected to bring ai-powered swarming to LUCAS kamikaze drone program. May 21, 2026 Shield AI, the defense-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software and aircraft, today announced that the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) has selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a new class of low-cost, one-way attack drones often referred to as kamikaze drones designed to operate in large numbers. The LUCAS program, developed by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation (ODASW(P&E)) under OUSW R&E, aims to deliver affordable mass - large numbers of low-cost systems that can be deployed together to overwhelm adversary defenses and give warfighters more capability at scale. Hivemind will serve as the AI pilot for the LUCAS program, enabling groups of drones to coordinate, maneuver, and adapt together to changing conditions in real time, based on warfighter input. The integration will include an operational demonstration this fall, in which a single operator will command a swarm of autonomous systems operating together. The effort marks a major step toward operationalizing collaborative autonomy: teams of autonomous systems working together in dynamic and communications-constrained environments under the supervision of a single operator. Breaking military news Discover more Military research database Military equipment news Aerial warfare strategy "LUCAS is about delivering affordable mass, but mass without coordination is limited in value," said Brandon Tseng, president and co-founder of Shield AI. "Hivemind is the AI pilot that makes that mass intelligent. It's the autonomy layer that enables teams of drones to sense, decide, and act at scale. We're proud to partner with OUSW R&E to put this capability in the hands of the warfighter at the speed of relevance." Hivemind simplifies the operation of networked unmanned systems by enabling a single operator to command multiple platforms at once for complex coordinated operations. Humans remain in control of strike decisions while autonomy manages navigation, coordination, and execution. The result shortens the time from detection to action across the kill chain. The Hivemind AI pilot enables platforms to sense, decide, and act independently, without human intervention. Unlike traditional autopilots that cannot deviate from preplanned routes, Hivemind dynamically reroutes mission plans, responds to unexpected conditions, avoids obstacles, and executes complex tasks safely and effectively. This selection builds on Hivemind's proven use across U.S. and allied defense platforms, including the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program aboard Anduril's YFQ-44A, the U.S. Navy BQM-177 test aircraft, the Airbus UH-72B Lakota helicopter, and the Destinus Hornet platform. Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide. Defense stock analysis Post Views: 14