RTX and intelligent autonomy provider Shield AI announced a new partnership on 1 July 2025 to integrate Shield AI’s capabilities into select RTX defence products such as loitering munitions and sensors.
RTX will integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind artificial intelligence (AI)-powered developer platform “to field the first operational weapon powered by networked collaborative autonomy (NCA) – a breakthrough technology that fuses real-time co-ordination, resilience and combat-proven firepower”, RTX stated in a press release.
Shield AI will also integrate its Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) software with RTX’s Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) to enable automated AI-based sensor autonomy against maritime and airborne swarm targets, with a focus on rapid productisation for current MTS customers.
The work will be entirely funded by the two companies, without the need for government investment.
“AI and autonomy continue to enhance the performance of our products,” RTX Chairman and CEO Chris Calio was quoted as saying in a company press release. “In partnership with Shield AI we will deliver critical new solutions that will create a competitive advantage for our customers.”
“RTX’s defence systems paired with Hivemind, which delivers mission autonomy for intelligent, collaborative operations, create powerful new capabilities for the warfighter,” added Gary Steele, CEO of Shield AI. “This collaboration reflects how the defence ecosystem is evolving, bringing the best of autonomy and hardware to bear on national security challenges.”
