What happens when drones are given the ability to think for themselves in the electromagnetic battlefield? L3Harris and Shield AI have just offered a glimpse in a new autonomous electronic warfare (EW) trial.
The two companies combined L3Harris’ Distributed Spectrum Collaboration and Operations (DiSCO) battle management ecosystem with Shield AI’s Hivemind mission-autonomy software.
In a real-time simulation, DiSCO gathered and analyzed data from multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to create a unified view of the electromagnetic spectrum.
This enabled a Hivemind-powered drone to identify safe operating zones and carry out tactical maneuvers without human input.
The demo showed how autonomous decision-making and spectrum management can work together within a coordinated system.
“Electronic warfare moves at machine speed, and operational advantage depends on autonomy,” said Christian Gutierrez, vice president of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI.
“Our integration with DiSCO shows that unmanned systems can sense and act across the electromagnetic spectrum in real time, and we’re excited to build on this momentum with L3Harris.”
Pushing EW Forward
The demo marks a step forward in autonomous EW, showing that drones can independently identify, process, and respond to electromagnetic threats in real time.
L3Harris said the test also highlighted its ability to quickly deliver AI-driven, multi-domain systems designed to support warfighters.
“By integrating autonomous decision-making with advanced battle management technology, we’re answering the Pentagon’s urgent call for coordinated command-and-control of multiple unmanned systems,” stated Lauren Barnes, president of spectrum superiority at L3Harris.
The two firms plan to move to live flight testing later this year, using real radio-frequency emitters and operational hardware to further evaluate autonomous EW capabilities.
