American troops facing the growing threat of drone swarms on future battlefields will soon have a new defensive weapon: a small, low-cost interceptor drone designed to crash directly into enemy aircraft, Stars and Stripes reported.

The Army signed a $5.2 million contract for the Bumblebee V2, a multirotor first-person-view drone built to identify, track and neutralize hostile unmanned systems, according to a statement.

The contract was awarded in late January by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 — the Pentagon's lead counter-drone organization — to defense technology firm Perennial Autonomy. The deal calls for an unspecified number of the systems.

"Having a low-collateral kinetic option is not just an advantage," said Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, director of Task Force 401. "It is increasingly becoming essential for protecting our forces."

Unlike traditional missile-based air defenses, the Bumblebee V2 is designed to collide with and disable enemy drones, offering what officials describe as a lower-cost alternative to shooting down inexpensive unmanned aircraft with high-end munitions.

The concept mirrors tactics used in Ukraine, where forces have relied on relatively inexpensive interceptor drones to destroy Russian unmanned systems amid intense aerial combat.

Army officials said the new drones will not only help shield U.S. troops in combat zones but will also be used to protect critical infrastructure domestically.

The Bumblebee V2 systems will first be sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for testing to assess their performance and battlefield readiness, the Army said.

In recent years, the Pentagon has sharpened its focus on countering unmanned aerial threats, citing the rapid expansion of drone capabilities by adversaries such as Russia and Iran.

Military leaders have warned that drone swarms — ranging from surveillance platforms to explosive-laden aircraft — are reshaping modern warfare and posing new risks to U.S. forces.

Last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established Task Force 401 to coordinate counter-drone initiatives across the Defense Department. The group has since accelerated the deployment and development of counter-drone systems at home and overseas.