Perennial Autonomy
Coverage of Perennial Autonomy in the Nexus archive.
- Ukraine has drones that can lock onto targets when Russia severs the connection to their operators, letting them complete their attacks
Ukraine's drones can lock onto targets and continue attacks even after losing operator control due to Russian electronic warfare. This autonomy, enabled by systems like the Perennial Autonomy Hornet and Starlink terminals, helps counter jamming and optimize limited manpower.
- Video purportedly shows Ukrainian unit running down Russian Shahed. The US is paying attention.
A Ukrainian drone unit shared a video of American-made Merops interceptors reportedly downing a Russian Shahed drone, prompting U.S. military interest in developing a scalable version. The U.S. Army is pursuing a government-owned design for low-cost interceptors to replace expensive Patriot missiles, with Perennial Autonomy, the Merops manufacturer, holding a $500 million Pentagon contract.
- Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb drone attacks on Russian bases are now shaping how the US Army prepares to defend its own
The US Army is adapting its defense strategies against drone and cyberattacks, inspired by Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, which used drones to strike Russian air bases. Exercises led by JIATF-401, a US counter-drone task force, emphasize layered defenses combining kinetic and non-kinetic systems like the Bumblebee drone.
- Pentagon inks $500 million deal with Perennial Autonomy for counter-drone tech
The Pentagon awarded Perennial Autonomy, a California-based startup, a $500 million contract for counter-drone technology including AI-enabled systems like Merops interceptors and Bumblebee quadcopters. The contract, awarded by the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, supports the U.S. military's defense against drone threats, particularly Iranian Sheheds, as part of the broader Drone Dominance initiative.