MELBOURNE, Fla. — L3Harris Technologies and Shield AI have successfully completed the first live flight test integrating L3Harris' Distributed Spectrum Collaboration and Operations (DiSCO™) electromagnetic battle management ecosystem with Shield AI's Hivemind mission-autonomy software, marking a significant step forward in autonomous electronic warfare capabilities.
The flight demonstration was conducted using an L3Harris Green Wolf unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It follows a hardware-in-the-loop simulated demonstration completed in February 2026, advancing the technology from simulation to live flight testing.
During the test on a live flight range, the unmanned aircraft systems detected, analyzed and responded to electromagnetic threats without human intervention. The Green Wolf, equipped with Hivemind autonomy software, used threat information generated by the DiSCO system to autonomously make flight decisions and reroute follow-on unmanned aircraft through a safe operating zone in real time.
According to L3Harris, the demonstration validated the ability of autonomous systems to sense unknown electromagnetic threats, share information across connected platforms, and coordinate responses without requiring direct operator control.
The mission also featured the Deceptor™ electronic warfare payload, a compact software-defined system deployed on multiple unmanned aircraft. During the exercise, the payload detected and characterized unknown threats before sharing the information through the DiSCO network. Hivemind then used that data to coordinate the movement of additional unmanned systems through a safe flight path.
Lauren Barnes, President of Spectrum Superiority, Communications & Spectrum Dominance at L3Harris, said the demonstration showed how rapidly new technologies can transition into operational capability.
"This successful demonstration shows how quickly we can transform concepts into operational capability for the joint force. By pairing autonomous decision-making with advanced spectrum battle management, we're giving warfighters the resilience and speed they need to stay ahead of rapidly evolving threats."
Christian Gutierrez, Senior Vice President of Hivemind at Shield AI, said integrating DiSCO with Hivemind created capabilities beyond what either system could achieve independently.
"L3Harris brings some of the most advanced electronic warfare capabilities in the world, and pairing DiSCO with Hivemind onboard Green Wolf produced something neither system could deliver alone. This flight test proved Hivemind can compress the sensor-to-decision cycle in real time, enabling autonomous systems to sense, share, and act on spectrum threats faster than ever before."
The demonstration also validated the Green Wolf platform as a multi-mission launched effects system capable of supporting distributed and networked electronic warfare operations. During the test, the aircraft was equipped with advanced threat detection and electronic attack capabilities, demonstrating its ability to operate as part of a coordinated unmanned force.
Electronic warfare has become increasingly important in modern military operations as armed forces rely heavily on the electromagnetic spectrum for communications, radar, navigation and command-and-control systems. Autonomous technologies are being developed to help military platforms detect, process and respond to rapidly changing spectrum threats faster than human operators can manage in highly contested environments.
L3Harris and Shield AI said they will continue expanding the system's mission applications through an open architecture approach, with further development focused on autonomous electronic warfare capabilities at the tactical edge. The companies aim to enhance coordination between unmanned systems while improving their ability to operate in complex electromagnetic environments.
Source : shield.ai
——— End of Article ———
