“Countering drones is both a battlefield and a homeland defense imperative,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. This quote describes the essence of the Army’s interest in the Bumblebee. As small drones evolve from niche platforms to common aerial threat tools, the military begins to develop quick-launching interceptors that can be piloted by minimally trained users and deployed in a way that does not affect other combat systems and the friendly force’s position as much as traditional air defense systems do.
Bumblebee is at the heart of such evolution since this small multirotor interceptor was actively tested through the efforts of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 in collaboration with operational units. Originally developed as a low-cost, attritable air-to-air system, Bumblebee quickly turned out to be much more versatile. Lt. Col. Max Ferguson, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, shared his opinion: “It came to us in a counter-unmanned aerial systems capacity, but we’re finding that it’s more of a multirole fighter. It can do everything from short-range reconnaissance to detecting threats on the battlefield, on the ground, in the air.”
But even more important than the capability itself is how the Army uses the new technology. Instead of requesting surveillance and air defenses from higher echelons, small combat groups get a new class of devices that allow them to detect, assess and respond to enemy action almost immediately after the latter appears on the horizon. Given that drones are commonly seen on the battlefield at very low altitudes, within complex terrain and without much prior notice, layered defense with portable interceptors becomes increasingly relevant. The latest Bumblebee version takes this idea further.
As the Department of Defense reports, the Army signed a deal worth $5.2 million for procurement of Bumblebee V2, a drone-on-drone physical interception solution. Unlike missile launchers and gun turrets that create significant amounts of secondary debris and cause additional risk of fratricide, Bumblebee provides the user with an option of eliminating aerial threats while minimizing potential negative consequences. Such an alternative between passive defense and high-risk active measures becomes increasingly valuable for critical installations and formations, especially when operating in proximity to civilian objects and allied forces.
In particular, this tendency is clearly reflected in the tests conducted lately. Training of the 82nd Airborne Division included demonstration of a highly developed target recognition system that makes it possible to track the target automatically and perform autonomous drone-on-drone attacks. Sgt. Maj. Kellen Rowley characterized V2 as “a major leap forward” thanks to the ability of soldiers to focus on tactical planning rather than precise maneuvering. Bumblebee reportedly has the endurance of up to an hour on one battery as well as updated cameras and sensors for increased flexibility.
From the perspective of soldiers on the ground, there is no need to overestimate the significance of Bumblebee for the combat effectiveness of a unit. Army Spc. Cevyn Jay Paydy noted, “It gets a lot of guys out of the line of fire, so you’re not running into bunkers and fortified positions anymore.”