The U.S. Army tested the Bumblebee V1 counter-drone system in partnership with JIATF-401 to assess the operational capabilities of low-cost air-to-air interceptors.
According to a report by Defence Blog, the training was conducted by the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and brought together soldiers from different units to operate a system in partnership with the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), the Department of War’s main counter-drone organization.
JIATF-401 is evaluating the Bumblebee V1 specifically as a low-cost, attritable air-to-air interceptor, a category of capability the task force has been working to develop and field as drone threats continue to proliferate across all operational environments in which the Army expects to fight in the future.
The Bumblebee V1 is a multirotor FPV drone designed from the ground up for counter-drone missions, incorporating automated target recognition that allows it to identify and track hostile drones with minimal operator intervention. This is a highly relevant attribute on modern battlefields, as it allows soldiers to focus on other elements of the fight around them while the drone operates autonomously.
“Counter-drone operations are imperative both on a battlefield and for homeland defense. Training opportunities like this with the 10th Mountain Division allow us to increase counter-drone capabilities across the joint force to keep pace with this threat,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401.
“It came to us as an unmanned aerial systems capability, but we are finding that it is more of a multifunction fighter. It can do everything from short-range reconnaissance to detecting threats on the battlefield, on the ground, in the air,” said Lt. Col. Max Ferguson, operations director for the 10th Mountain Division.
“It takes a lot of guys out of the line of fire, so you’re no longer running into bunkers and fortified positions, which makes me feel better, makes everybody feel better,” said Spc. Cevyn Jay Paydy, an infantryman assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
Photo: U.S. Army. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
