Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), jointly with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), has expanded its partnership with U.S.-based Shield AI to co-develop and proliferate Artificial Intelligence (AI) across a wider range of autonomous drone applications using Shield AI’s Hivemind software development kit (SDK).
Building on existing explorations and early use cases, the expanded collaboration aims to develop and embed autonomous capabilities across multiple drone applications. The Hivemind SDK enables the tailoring of AI solutions for both current operational requirements and future operating environments.
The partnership has allowed the RSAF and DSTA to independently design, test and deploy mission autonomy using Shield AI’s SDK. Within six months, operational and developer feedback from both organisations has led to refinements of the SDK, strengthening local developer capability to develop and deploy mission autonomy aligned with the RSAF’s Concept of Operations.
The mission autonomy supports operators in completing missions safely and effectively without human intervention. Capabilities include rerouting around no-fly zones, avoiding threats, and responding dynamically to unexpected operational conditions.
“The RSAF and DSTA have been outstanding partners,” said Brandon Tseng, president and co-founder of Shield AI. “Through their adoption of the Hivemind platform, Singapore is on a path to become the first country outside the United States with true sovereign autonomy — the ability to develop and field its own AI pilots across its platforms. This matters because autonomy helps decouple military fighting strength from population size, and in Singapore’s case, from a declining population — a challenge shared by many nations.”
DSTA Chief Executive Mr Ng Chad-Son highlighted the strategic importance of the collaboration, stating: “Building our capability to independently develop and field mission autonomy is a priority and an important step forward. This collaboration goes beyond technology adoption. It enables our defence engineers and aircrew to gain hands-on experience, growing a sustainable pipeline of AI specialists with strong operational understanding.”
He added that DSTA will continue to leverage market solutions to integrate autonomy across a broader spectrum of applications for the RSAF, ensuring unmanned systems remain highly adaptable and mission-ready for evolving operational challenges.
The expanded partnership was announced at the Singapore Airshow 2026.
For Editorial Inquiries Contact:
Editor Kym Bergmann at kym.bergmann@venturamedia.net
For Advertising Inquiries Contact:
Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at simon.hadfield@venturamedia.net
