Leonardo details Proteus’s path to autonomous anti-submarine missions for the Royal Navy
The Proteus autonomous helicopter on its first flight. (Photo: UK Royal Navy)
Leonardo’s integration of Shield AI’s Hivemind software could enable its Proteus uncrewed helicopter to conduct independent anti-submarine warfare missions, supporting the Royal Navy’s plans for a future hybrid air wing.
Leonardo plans for its Proteus uncrewed helicopter demonstrator to conduct fully autonomous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions for the UK Royal Navy (RN) as it integrates Shield AI’s autonomy software into the rotorcraft platform.
The Italian defence company is evaluating Shield AI’s Hivemind software in the digital twin of the Proteus helicopter at Yeovil, UK, a company spokesperson told Shephard, with the ultimate goal of making Proteus a dominant ASW platform.
An agreement between the two companies was announced at the end of October 2026 and is intended to expand Leonardo’s ability to build its own mission autonomy software for
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