Shield AI and RBAT Sign MoU to Bring Hivemind Autonomy to Qatari Vessels
Shield AI and Rheinmetall Barzan Advanced Technologies (RBAT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore integrating Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software into Qatari-designed maritime defense and security solutions. The agreement was signed at Milipol Qatar 2026 in Doha.
- Shield AI and RBAT signed an MoU at Milipol Qatar 2026 to explore integrating Hivemind into Qatari maritime solutions.
- RBAT is a joint venture of Barzan Holdings and Rheinmetall AG, founded in 2017.
- The companies aim to enable coordinated autonomous operations across multiple vessels.
- Shield AI says Hivemind has piloted more than 40 platforms.
- No timeline, contract value or vessel details were disclosed.
What the agreement covers
The MoU links Shield AI, which describes itself as a leader in AI-powered mission autonomy, with RBAT, a joint venture of Barzan Holdings and Rheinmetall AG. According to the companies, the two will work to explore how Hivemind can be integrated into autonomous solutions from Barzan Holdings, including unmanned surface vessels (USVs) used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
The partnership is meant to build on established local capabilities in advanced maritime technologies. The press release says it combines RBAT's indigenous engineering expertise with Shield AI's autonomy solutions. The document speaks of exploring integration, so it describes the start of a collaboration rather than a finished product or a deployment.
The MoU was signed on Day 2 of Milipol Qatar 2026 by Mimi Shalash, senior director for Hivemind at Shield AI, and Dr. Sinan Al-Obaidi, Chief Executive Officer of RBAT.
From single platforms to coordinated teams
Both companies stressed coordination between vessels. Shalash said the integration of Hivemind with Barzan Holdings autonomous solutions "will expand advanced capabilities and enable coordinated autonomous operations across multiple vessels while optimizing operational efficiency and effectiveness," according to the release.
Al-Obaidi framed it in terms of a wider operational picture. "Autonomy delivers its full value only when it is part of a wider operational picture," he said. He added that the work "elevates Qatar from individual unmanned platforms, to coordinated teams of vessels that protect our coastal waters and critical infrastructure."
Shalash also said Qatar continues to demonstrate leadership in maritime defense, using its capabilities to safeguard critical infrastructure while driving innovation in coastal security and defense operations.
The companies involved
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. The company says Hivemind has piloted more than 40 platforms, including F-16s, jet-powered uncrewed aircraft, helicopters, uncrewed surface vessels, ground vehicles, and a satellite in low Earth orbit.
RBAT was founded in 2017. According to the release, its portfolio includes advanced Command and Control (C2) software, a family of unmanned systems (UXV) and field-proven Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) solutions. Barzan Holdings describes itself as the commercial gateway for Qatar's military industry.
Part of a wider maritime push
Shield AI says the collaboration follows similar partnerships and successful demos with Taiwan's Thunder Tiger Corp. and with Kraken Technology Group Ltd in the UK, both aimed at autonomy on maritime platforms.
For now, the MoU signals intent on both sides. The source gives no timeline, no contract value and no details on which vessels will receive the software, so the practical outcome will depend on the integration work the two companies have now agreed to explore.
