MQ-20 drone simulates shoot-down using modular software architecture
NewsJune 17, 2025
SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) conducted a test flight of its MQ-20 Avenger uncrewed jet on June 11, executing a simulated autonomous missile engagement using government reference autonomy software, the company announced in a statement.
The test involved both live and virtual aircraft and included a simulated shoot-down of two live targets. The MQ-20 demonstrated autonomous behaviors such as airborne station-keeping, patrolling a simulated combat zone, and teaming with human-controlled elements, the statement reads.
The event marked a transition mid-flight from a government-provided autonomy suite to Shield AI’s Hivemind software without interruption to the mission, and it demonstrated interoperability between software systems running on a shared reference architecture, according to the company.
GA-ASI says the test supports the concept of an open autonomy ecosystem, allowing rapid integration of capabilities from multiple vendors while maintaining aircraft stability and operational performance.
