Leonardo will use Shield AI’s Hivemind software development kit to develop additional autonomy for Proteus, its uncrewed rotorcraft demonstrator for the Royal Navy. The work will focus on mission autonomy for rotary-wing operations, including anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and logistics in contested environments. Leonardo engineers will be able to tailor and retain the software they develop; no contract value, integration schedule or operational deployment date was disclosed.
Proteus was developed with the Royal Navy and UK Defence Innovation under the UK’s Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air System programme. Its maiden flight, in January 2026, used autonomy designed by Leonardo; the Hivemind agreement supports further development and does not make Shield AI the supplier of the demonstrator’s original autonomy.
The vertical take-off and landing demonstrator has a modular payload bay designed for about one tonne of equipment or two NATO 463L pallets. Potential roles include anti-submarine warfare, airborne early warning and intra-theatre lift. The programme supports the Royal Navy’s Maritime Aviation Transformation strategy through 2040. Leonardo has identified the possibility of extending the technology to other rotary-wing programmes, but has not confirmed any further applications.