The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has moved to strengthen frontline counter-drone defenses by awarding Perennial Autonomy a $5.2 million contract for the delivery of kinetic drone-interceptor systems.
At the core of the agreement is the Bumblebee V2, a low-cost, NDAA-compliant FPV multi-rotor drone engineered to physically intercept hostile sUAS with limited risk of collateral damage, offering a scalable solution for high-tempo operational environments.
Deployments will begin in March, with the U.S. Army’s Global Response Force conducting live operational assessments at the Lieutenant General Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost, a new facility established in January 2026 to fast-track technologies that improve force protection and combat effectiveness.
The move fits within a wider Pentagon strategy to rapidly operationalize counter-UAS capabilities. Since its creation in August 2025, JIATF-401 has driven accelerated procurement, including the acquisition of Fortem’s DroneHunter F700 interceptors and the rollout of low-cost infrastructure protection measures to counter the growing drone threat.
