Story perspectives

Poland Joins US Counter-Drone Swarm Program, Picks Shield AI

5/22/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Army and Pentagon approved Poland’s entry into the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 counter-drone marketplace and chose Shield AI’s Hivemind, enabling a single operator to command swarms of LUCAS drones.
Poland’s defence minister said United States has not decided to cut troops and any delay is temporary.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll signed the intent with Pawel Zalewski, noting that the marketplace includes Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Romania.

History

Historical Context

During NATO’s 1999 Kosovo air campaign, the alliance fielded surveillance drones such as the U.S. RQ-5 Hunter and German CL-289, flying 246 sorties and losing several aircraft. That early UAV integration set a precedent for today’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401, where Poland has selected Shield AI’s Hivemind to control LUCAS swarms, extending the same multinational autonomous-air approach.

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Story summary

Army and Pentagon approved Poland’s entry into the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 counter-drone marketplace and chose Shield AI’s Hivemind, enabling a single operator to command swarms of LUCAS drones.
Poland’s defence minister said United States has not decided to cut troops and any delay is temporary.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll signed the intent with Pawel Zalewski, noting that the marketplace includes Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Romania.

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