The Pentagon is betting on cheap attack drones: Shield AI has a key role in the new US program

The US Department of Defense is expanding the use of low-cost drones amid rising military spending and experience from modern conflicts. One of the main participants in the new program was the American company Shield AI, which will supply autonomous drone control software for the army.

Pentagon accelerates transition to mass drones

The US Department of Defense selected Shield AI to participate in the program for the creation and implementation of low-cost attack drones, xrust reported. The decision was part of Washington's larger strategy to ramp up production of autonomous systems capable of carrying out combat missions at significantly lower costs compared to traditional military equipment.

At the center of the project is the Hivemind software platform developed by Shield AI. It allows drones to independently navigate in space, coordinate actions with each other and perform tasks even in conditions of suppression of satellite navigation and communications. In essence, we are talking about an “electronic pilot” that is able to make decisions without the constant participation of the operator.

The new system will be integrated into LUCAS attack drones developed by the American company SpektreWorks. The cost of one such device is about 35 thousand dollars. At the current exchange rate, this is approximately 2.7–2.8 million rubles. For comparison: the price of a modern reconnaissance and attack drone of the MQ-9 Reaper class is measured in tens of millions of dollars.

Lessons from modern conflicts

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__The Pentagon's interest in cheap drones is largely due to the experience of recent years. The conflict in Ukraine has shown that relatively inexpensive drones are capable of destroying equipment worth hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. The US military made similar conclusions after analyzing the fighting in the Middle East.

Shield AI President and co-founder Brandon Tseng noted that the project’s goal is to transfer the experience of mass use of drones to a completely American technology platform. According to him, the use of such systems allows us to simultaneously reduce the cost of hitting targets and reduce risks for military personnel.

Experts note that modern warfare is gradually shifting from a limited number of expensive platforms to large groups of relatively cheap autonomous vehicles. In such a concept, the key importance is not so much the cost of an individual drone, but the ability to quickly produce thousands of them and effectively coordinate the actions of entire swarms.

Shield AI becomes one of the leaders in defense AI

Company founded by former military Shield AI has emerged in recent years as one of the most prominent players in the American defense sector. In the spring of 2026, the startup raised about $1 billion in funding and received a valuation of $12.7 billion, making it one of the most valuable private companies in the field of military technology.

The growing interest in Shield AI solutions coincides with a sharp increase in American spending on unmanned technology. According to the Pentagon's budget plans, tens of billions of dollars are expected to be spent on the development of drones and means of combating them.

What does this mean for the global market

The choice of Shield AI demonstrates an important trend: the world's largest armies are increasingly investing not in individual expensive equipment, but in massive autonomous systems with elements of artificial intelligence. If the program is successful, it could become one of the largest projects to introduce combat AI systems in the US military.

For the global drone industry, this is also a signal of the beginning of a new stage of competition, where not only the aircraft, but also the software that controls its actions on the battlefield becomes the decisive factor.

News https://www.cnbc.com

Xrust Pentagon bets on cheap attack drones: Shield AI got a key role in the new US program