A Russian military channel reports that the first phase of testing of the new Hornet-2 drone has been completed in Segovia, Spain. The drone, developed by US company Swift Beat LLC and linked to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, now integrates Shield AI's 'Hivemind' software, enabling autonomous coordination of multiple drones without direct human control of each maneuver.
The report, posted on a Russian military channel, describes the Hornet-2 as a significant evolution beyond the earlier Hornet drone, which The Zioneer previously reported on in the context of operations in southern Russia (June 14). The first phase of testing, conducted in late June 2026 in Segovia, demonstrated autonomous route recalculation, obstacle avoidance, and mission continuation without operator intervention. The key upgrade is the integration of Shield AI's 'Hivemind' platform, which converts the drone from a single semi-autonomous platform into a node in a collective, AI-coordinated swarm. The source notes that the decision to strike remains with a human operator, but the overall mission coordination is now handled by the AI. The development underscores the rapid advancement of AI-driven drone warfare, with potential implications for multiple theaters including the Middle East.
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