Leonardo details Proteus’s path to autonomous anti-submarine missions for the Royal Navy

Leonardo is developing greater mission autonomy for its Proteus uncrewed helicopter under an October 2026 agreement to use Shield AI's Hivemind software development kit. The companies intend to integrate and adapt autonomy functions for rotary-wing tasks, including anti-submarine warfare, intelligence and surveillance, and logistics in contested environments. Proteus is a Royal Navy and UK Defence Innovation technology demonstrator that achieved its first flight in January 2026, supporting research into crewed and uncrewed aircraft working together. Integration of Hivemind remains a development activity, and independent submarine detection or engagement by an operational Proteus fleet has not been demonstrated or ordered.