The US Joint Interagency Task Force (JITF) 401 has introduced its newest tool in the fight against hostile unmanned aerial systems, and this one stings.
Awarded on January 30, under a $5.2 million contract to Perennial Autonomy , the Bumblebee V2 is a next‑generation multirotor drone that hunts down hostile drones and physically knocks them out of the sky.
Guided by first‑person‑view (FPV) controls and advanced onboard software, the Bumblebee identifies, tracks, and collides with hostile small unmanned aerial systems (S-UAS), neutralizing them through a deliberate kinetic strike that minimizes collateral damage and avoids the risks associated with electronic jamming or explosive interceptors.
The first delivery of the system is set for the beginning of March.
"This decision puts kinetic [counter-small] UAS capability into the hands of our troops immediately,” JIATF-401 director US Army Brig.-Gen. Matthew Ross was quoted as saying in a Department of War (DoW) statement to the press.
"The Bumblebee V2 provides a cost-effective, reliable interceptor that can neutralize threats without endangering our own forces or surrounding infrastructure. On the modern battlefield, where drones are a constant threat, having a low-collateral kinetic option is not just an advantage; it is increasingly becoming essential for protecting our forces."
The Bumblebee appears at a moment when the US military is rapidly expanding its counter‑UAS ecosystem. Across the world, a mix of kinetic, electronic, and directed‑energy systems are being fielded to keep pace with the explosion of small, inexpensive drones seen on modern battlefields, such as in the Russia- Ukraine War.
The proliferation of small, inexpensive drones, once viewed primarily as commercial platforms, has created new challenges for militaries and critical infrastructure operators.
Bumblebee V2 fills a critical gap. It provides a low‑cost, low‑collateral kinetic solution for close‑range engagements where electronic warfare may be ineffective and where larger interceptors would be too destructive or too expensive to justify.
Its expendable nature and precision collision capability make it particularly suited in protecting forward‑deployed units, critical infrastructure, and urban environments where every drone that gets through poses a risk.
United States Army Maj. Cole Price, the assistant capability manager for JIATF‑401, said that the Bumblebee V2 is fully compliant with National Defense Authorization Act requirements and equipped with software allowing the drone to carry out missions autonomously.
"This provides a crucial capability for our forces to counter the growing threat of autonomous systems,” he said.
Drone dominance
The US Army’s Global Response Force will be the first to put Bumblebee V2 through operational assessment as part of the newly established Lt. Gen. James Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost at Fort Bragg. It opened in late January 2026 to serve as a center to “bridge tactical and operational challenges with rapid innovative solutions,” said an Army Press Release, adding that it was “designed as a hub for military personnel, academia, and industry, to collaboratively address problems faced on the modern battlefield.
According to the DoW press statement, the evaluation will test whether the system can withstand the demanding conditions faced by units trained to deploy worldwide on short notice – “aligning with the outpost's goal to accelerate the delivery of top-tier technology to warfighters.
As small drones continue to redefine modern conflict, from reconnaissance and targeting to precision attacks, militaries around the world are racing to have the best and cheapest platform at scale.
"Drone dominance is a process race as much as a technological race," US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in July in a memorandum titled Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance.
"We are buying what works – fast, at scale, and without bureaucratic delay. Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions," Hegseth announced.