South Korea’s KAI partners with Shield AI to speed up AI development for future air combat platforms
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On March 20, 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), South Korea’s sole aircraft system integrator, announced a partnership with Shield AI, a U.S.-based developer of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems for defense applications, to support the integration of AI pilot technology into KAI’s manned-unmanned teaming capabilities. The agreement includes the use of Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise (HME), a modular and scalable AI-powered autonomy software suite developed for integration into unmanned aerial systems and drones. The contract was signed by KAI, Shield AI, and Quantum Aero, Shield AI’s exclusive supplier in South Korea.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Shield AI’s Hivemind Edge is deployed onboard unmanned systems to execute autonomy functions such as perception, action, and cognition in environments with limited or no access to GPS or communications. (Picture source: KAI)
Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise will be used by KAI to support the development of its proprietary AI pilot, referred to as “K-AILOT,” which will be integrated into a scaled version of KAI’s multipurpose unmanned aerial platform (AAP). According to Shield AI’s Chief Technology Officer, Nathan Michael, the suite is intended to reduce the complexity and cost typically associated with autonomy development by offering software tools and architecture that enable developers to accelerate the creation of AI pilot systems. Developed to deploy autonomous behaviors at scale, the software suite is designed to help establish, evaluate, and verify autonomous flight capabilities, including basic navigation, obstacle avoidance, and target recognition. Hivemind Enterprise, developed by Shield AI for organizations and developers involved in building and deploying intelligent unmanned systems, has previously been applied to platforms such as the F-16 (X-62 VISTA), GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger, Kratos MQM-178 Firejet, V-BATs, and quadcopters, with a focus on enabling autonomous operations in GPS- and communications-denied environments.
Hivemind Enterprise is structured around three primary components: Hivemind Edge, Hivemind Design, and Hivemind Commander. Hivemind Edge is deployed onboard unmanned systems to execute autonomy functions such as perception, action, and cognition in environments with limited or no access to GPS or communications. It is based on an open and modular architecture and is designed to be compatible with multiple platforms. Hivemind Design provides tools for developers to design, configure, analyze, and test AI capabilities using local and cloud computing environments. Hivemind Commander supports human interaction with autonomous systems by offering interfaces for mission planning, real-time command and control, operator training, and simulation-based testing. The system includes a modular catalog of mission behaviors, an integrated autonomy factory for developing and refining autonomous functions, a production-grade middleware layer for system integration, and a high-fidelity simulation environment that supports testing, validation, visualization, and replay of both synthetic and real-world missions.
The agreement follows Shield AI’s earlier integration of Hivemind on the V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in a simulation setting under a U.S. Air Force STRATFI (Strategic Funding Increase) contract with AFWERX. That project demonstrated the software’s ability to execute a wide range of mission types with autonomous coordination, such as air defense breach, Scud missile hunting, zone reconnaissance, and operations in communications-contested environments. In one simulation, a team of three V-BATs monitored a 10 × 10 km region with designated areas of interest under conditions simulating the presence of friendly or hostile forces.
As part of the partnership, KAI engineers will visit Shield AI’s headquarters in San Diego in April 2025 to receive training and coordinate the application of Hivemind Enterprise in ongoing test programs, as the simulation environment used for development and testing is proprietary to the U.S. company. The software will be used to verify KAI’s internally developed AI pilot systems and shorten development timelines through simulation and prototype testing. KAI aims to complete the integration of K-AILOT into the operational multipurpose unmanned aerial platform (AAP), which is currently scheduled for rollout later in the year. Shield AI’s exclusive technology partner in South Korea, Quantum Aero, will assist with the integration process and facilitate cooperation among domestic aerospace stakeholders.
Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise will be used by KAI to support the development of its proprietary AI pilot, referred to as “K-AILOT,” which will be integrated into a scaled version of KAI’s multipurpose unmanned aerial platform named AAP. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
KAI began research into AI-based flight control technologies in the second half of 2023 and, in February 2024, announced an investment of KRW 102.5 billion (approximately USD 69.7 million) into technologies including AI, big data, autonomy, and unmanned systems. To support these efforts, KAI has formed strategic partnerships through equity investments in domestic AI firms such as Konan Technology (big data), PUNZIN (decision AI), and GenGenAI (synthetic data for defense applications). The objective is to strengthen national capabilities in autonomous flight and to build a domestic ecosystem supporting the integration of AI into aerospace systems.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) was established in October 1999 through the consolidation of the aerospace divisions of Daewoo Heavy Industries, Hyundai Space and Aircraft, and Samsung Aerospace. This integration, initiated by the South Korean government during the post-Asian financial crisis restructuring period, aimed to create a unified national aircraft system integrator. Headquartered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, KAI has played a central role in South Korea’s aerospace development, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, UAVs, satellites, and launch vehicles. Its major clients include the South Korean military branches and international companies such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer.
KAI’s current projects include the KT-1 Woongbi trainer, T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic jet, KUH-1 Surion helicopter, KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter, and a family of UAVs such as the RQ-101 Songgolmae and the in-development AAP (Autonomous Aerial Platform). The company is also involved in co-development, licensed production, and upgrade programs for platforms such as the KF-16, P-3CK, and Boeing 737 AEW&C. KAI also participates in space programs including the Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II and a range of electro-optical and radar imaging satellites. Additionally, the company is advancing manned-unmanned teaming concepts and conducting R&D into AI-based piloting technologies and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). KAI has invested in domestic AI firms and technologies to enhance its capabilities in autonomy, big data, and synthetic training environments.
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a U.S. defense technology firm that develops artificial intelligence software and autonomous systems for military use. The company was established by Brandon Tseng, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, along with Ryan Tseng and Andrew Reiter, with the goal of improving operational safety and effectiveness through autonomous capabilities. Its first product, the Nova quadcopter, was deployed by the U.S. military for indoor reconnaissance missions. The company’s technologies are used by U.S. defense entities including the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command, as well as by international customers such as Romania. Shield AI maintains offices in the U.S., Ukraine, the UAE, and Australia, and opened an office in Kyiv in January 2025 to support Ukraine’s operations involving MQ-35A V-BAT drones.
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On March 20, 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), South Korea’s sole aircraft system integrator, announced a partnership with Shield AI, a U.S.-based developer of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems for defense applications, to support the integration of AI pilot technology into KAI’s manned-unmanned teaming capabilities. The agreement includes the use of Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise (HME), a modular and scalable AI-powered autonomy software suite developed for integration into unmanned aerial systems and drones. The contract was signed by KAI, Shield AI, and Quantum Aero, Shield AI’s exclusive supplier in South Korea.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Shield AI’s Hivemind Edge is deployed onboard unmanned systems to execute autonomy functions such as perception, action, and cognition in environments with limited or no access to GPS or communications. (Picture source: KAI)
Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise will be used by KAI to support the development of its proprietary AI pilot, referred to as “K-AILOT,” which will be integrated into a scaled version of KAI’s multipurpose unmanned aerial platform (AAP). According to Shield AI’s Chief Technology Officer, Nathan Michael, the suite is intended to reduce the complexity and cost typically associated with autonomy development by offering software tools and architecture that enable developers to accelerate the creation of AI pilot systems. Developed to deploy autonomous behaviors at scale, the software suite is designed to help establish, evaluate, and verify autonomous flight capabilities, including basic navigation, obstacle avoidance, and target recognition. Hivemind Enterprise, developed by Shield AI for organizations and developers involved in building and deploying intelligent unmanned systems, has previously been applied to platforms such as the F-16 (X-62 VISTA), GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger, Kratos MQM-178 Firejet, V-BATs, and quadcopters, with a focus on enabling autonomous operations in GPS- and communications-denied environments.
Hivemind Enterprise is structured around three primary components: Hivemind Edge, Hivemind Design, and Hivemind Commander. Hivemind Edge is deployed onboard unmanned systems to execute autonomy functions such as perception, action, and cognition in environments with limited or no access to GPS or communications. It is based on an open and modular architecture and is designed to be compatible with multiple platforms. Hivemind Design provides tools for developers to design, configure, analyze, and test AI capabilities using local and cloud computing environments. Hivemind Commander supports human interaction with autonomous systems by offering interfaces for mission planning, real-time command and control, operator training, and simulation-based testing. The system includes a modular catalog of mission behaviors, an integrated autonomy factory for developing and refining autonomous functions, a production-grade middleware layer for system integration, and a high-fidelity simulation environment that supports testing, validation, visualization, and replay of both synthetic and real-world missions.
The agreement follows Shield AI’s earlier integration of Hivemind on the V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft in a simulation setting under a U.S. Air Force STRATFI (Strategic Funding Increase) contract with AFWERX. That project demonstrated the software’s ability to execute a wide range of mission types with autonomous coordination, such as air defense breach, Scud missile hunting, zone reconnaissance, and operations in communications-contested environments. In one simulation, a team of three V-BATs monitored a 10 × 10 km region with designated areas of interest under conditions simulating the presence of friendly or hostile forces.
As part of the partnership, KAI engineers will visit Shield AI’s headquarters in San Diego in April 2025 to receive training and coordinate the application of Hivemind Enterprise in ongoing test programs, as the simulation environment used for development and testing is proprietary to the U.S. company. The software will be used to verify KAI’s internally developed AI pilot systems and shorten development timelines through simulation and prototype testing. KAI aims to complete the integration of K-AILOT into the operational multipurpose unmanned aerial platform (AAP), which is currently scheduled for rollout later in the year. Shield AI’s exclusive technology partner in South Korea, Quantum Aero, will assist with the integration process and facilitate cooperation among domestic aerospace stakeholders.
Shield AI’s Hivemind Enterprise will be used by KAI to support the development of its proprietary AI pilot, referred to as “K-AILOT,” which will be integrated into a scaled version of KAI’s multipurpose unmanned aerial platform named AAP. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
KAI began research into AI-based flight control technologies in the second half of 2023 and, in February 2024, announced an investment of KRW 102.5 billion (approximately USD 69.7 million) into technologies including AI, big data, autonomy, and unmanned systems. To support these efforts, KAI has formed strategic partnerships through equity investments in domestic AI firms such as Konan Technology (big data), PUNZIN (decision AI), and GenGenAI (synthetic data for defense applications). The objective is to strengthen national capabilities in autonomous flight and to build a domestic ecosystem supporting the integration of AI into aerospace systems.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) was established in October 1999 through the consolidation of the aerospace divisions of Daewoo Heavy Industries, Hyundai Space and Aircraft, and Samsung Aerospace. This integration, initiated by the South Korean government during the post-Asian financial crisis restructuring period, aimed to create a unified national aircraft system integrator. Headquartered in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, KAI has played a central role in South Korea’s aerospace development, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, UAVs, satellites, and launch vehicles. Its major clients include the South Korean military branches and international companies such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer.
KAI’s current projects include the KT-1 Woongbi trainer, T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic jet, KUH-1 Surion helicopter, KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter, and a family of UAVs such as the RQ-101 Songgolmae and the in-development AAP (Autonomous Aerial Platform). The company is also involved in co-development, licensed production, and upgrade programs for platforms such as the KF-16, P-3CK, and Boeing 737 AEW&C. KAI also participates in space programs including the Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II and a range of electro-optical and radar imaging satellites. Additionally, the company is advancing manned-unmanned teaming concepts and conducting R&D into AI-based piloting technologies and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs). KAI has invested in domestic AI firms and technologies to enhance its capabilities in autonomy, big data, and synthetic training environments.
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a U.S. defense technology firm that develops artificial intelligence software and autonomous systems for military use. The company was established by Brandon Tseng, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, along with Ryan Tseng and Andrew Reiter, with the goal of improving operational safety and effectiveness through autonomous capabilities. Its first product, the Nova quadcopter, was deployed by the U.S. military for indoor reconnaissance missions. The company’s technologies are used by U.S. defense entities including the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command, as well as by international customers such as Romania. Shield AI maintains offices in the U.S., Ukraine, the UAE, and Australia, and opened an office in Kyiv in January 2025 to support Ukraine’s operations involving MQ-35A V-BAT drones.
