Pentagon’s JIATF-401 Buys Bumblebee V2 Counter-Drone System for $5.2M

The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), the Pentagon’s lead organization for synchronizing counter-drone efforts across the department, has contracted Perennial Autonomy to supply kinetic counter-drone systems.

The $5.2-million agreement covers the Bumblebee V2 first-person view multi-rotor drone, a fully NDAA-compliant, low-cost system built to physically intercept small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) with minimal collateral damage. 

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in March, when the army’s Global Response Force will conduct an operational assessment of the system in support of the recently established Lieutenant General Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP).

Established in late January 2026, the JIOP facility aims to accelerate the fielding of advanced technologies that enhance soldier lethality and survivability.

“This decision puts kinetic counter-sUAS capability into the hands of our troops immediately,” said US Army JIATF-401 Director and Brigadier Gen. Matthew Ross, adding that having a low-collateral kinetic option such as the Bumblebee V2 is essential for force protection. 

Pentagon Counter-Drone Efforts

The Pentagon established the JIATF 401 in August 2025 to spearhead the rapid development and deployment of counter-drone capabilities across the military, engaging industry and non-traditional defense suppliers.

In early January, the JIATF 401 contracted Fortem Technologies to supply DroneHunter F700 interceptors and deliver them by April, marking its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 initiative.

In February, it released guidelines on protecting critical infrastructure from drone threats, outlining low-cost physical and procedural measures such as structural shielding, overhead netting, perimeter hardening, and personnel training to spot suspicious activity.