US Army to debut FPV Bumblebee V2 drone interceptor next month
Living intelligence hub tracking contract vehicle — updated as events unfold.
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Cabrillo Club
Editorial Team · February 15, 2026
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Living intelligence hub tracking contract vehicle — updated as events unfold.
Cabrillo Club
Editorial Team · February 15, 2026
Deep dive into how this impacts each market segment.
Last updated: February 15, 2026 at 02:56 UTC
The Pentagon awarded Perennial Autonomy a $5.2M contract on January 30, 2025, for the Bumblebee V2 FPV drone interceptor system, with deliveries starting March 2025 for U.S. Army Global Response Force assessment. This rapid acquisition through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 represents a shift toward kinetic counter-UAS solutions using physical collision rather than electronic warfare or projectiles. The contract's explicit NDAA compliance requirements signal tightening supply chain restrictions that will cascade across future drone and autonomous system acquisitions.
Primary NAICS Codes:
Agencies & Organizations:
Market Segments:
Counter-UAS technology providers, autonomous systems developers, FPV drone manufacturers, AI/ML target recognition specialists, force protection equipment suppliers, and defense electronics integrators. Secondary impact on traditional kinetic counter-drone solutions (directed energy, projectile-based systems) as DoD explores lower-collateral alternatives.
Contract Vehicles:
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 emerging as rapid acquisition pathway for counter-drone capabilities; expect similar streamlined procurements bypassing traditional PEO channels.
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Check Your CMMC ReadinessThis represents a strategic shift in counter-UAS doctrine—physical interception versus electronic warfare or kinetic weapons. The rapid timeline (award to delivery in 60 days) and NDAA compliance emphasis signal that DoD is prioritizing speed and supply chain security over traditional acquisition processes. Perennial Autonomy's success creates a template for other small autonomous systems contracts, and the Global Response Force assessment will directly inform FY26 requirements across multiple Army units.
NDAA Section 889 prohibits telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from covered foreign entities (primarily Chinese manufacturers). For drone systems, this extends to flight controllers, cameras, communication modules, and processors. The Bumblebee V2 contract's explicit compliance language suggests DoD is expanding scrutiny beyond Section 889's literal text to encompass broader autonomous system components—creating de facto restrictions not yet codified in DFARS.
If you're proposing electronic warfare or projectile-based solutions, prepare justification for why physical interception isn't viable for your use case. If you're in autonomous systems, expect RFPs to include detailed supply chain provenance requirements with 30-day response windows. Existing contracts may face modification requests to document component sourcing, particularly for sensors, processors, and communication systems manufactured or assembled outside the U.S.
How Top-Performing Contractors Operationalize This Intelligence:
Elite defense contractors maintain dedicated counter-UAS market intelligence cells that immediately cross-reference new awards against their capability portfolios and supply chain vulnerabilities. Within 4 hours of this announcement, leading firms will have completed gap analyses comparing their autonomous system offerings against Bumblebee V2's specifications, identified which program offices are likely to request similar capabilities, and initiated supply chain audits for NDAA compliance exposure. They recognize that Perennial Autonomy's success validates a specific counter-drone approach that will generate follow-on requirements across Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations units—potentially $200M+ in related opportunities over 24 months.
The critical operational insight is that this contract signals DoD's willingness to accept novel defeat mechanisms (physical collision) that traditional prime contractors dismissed as too risky. Winning contractors are already reverse-engineering the decision calculus: What operational scenarios make collision preferable to jamming? Which unit types need low-collateral solutions? How does this affect our directed energy or net-gun product roadmaps? They're simultaneously stress-testing their drone component supply chains, recognizing that NDAA language in this contract will become template text for FY26 solicitations. The 48-hour playbook focuses on positioning for derivative opportunities while eliminating supply chain vulnerabilities that could disqualify future bids.
Systems to Configure:
Notification Chain:
First 48-Hour Playbook:
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Check Your CMMC ReadinessCabrillo Club
Editorial Team
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