NORTHCOM Makes Anduril's Lattice the Yardstick for Every Counter-Drone Vendor at Falcon Peak
At least 20 counter-drone vendors at NORTHCOM's border-focused Falcon Peak 26.2 had to feed their tracks into Anduril's Lattice, including interceptors Ukraine already flies against Russian drones.
At least 20 counter-drone vendors at NORTHCOM's border-focused Falcon Peak 26.2 had to feed their tracks into Anduril's Lattice, including interceptors Ukraine already flies against Russian drones.
U.S. Northern Command is running its fourth Falcon Peak counter-drone experiment through one command-and-control standard: Anduril's Lattice. Every commercial sensor-to-shooter system at Falcon Peak 26.2 is measured against Lattice as the "digital backbone and baseline standard," DefenseScoop wrote from the Arizona range on Tuesday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Falcon Peak 26.2?
It is U.S. Northern Command's fourth large-scale counter-small-drone experiment, run with Joint Interagency Task Force 401 in Arizona through Sept. 25, 2026. It is the first iteration focused on drone threats along the U.S.-Mexico border, per NORTHCOM.
What role does Anduril's Lattice play?
The test organization runs Lattice as the command-and-control baseline, and participating vendors must feed sensor data, radar tracks and targeting data into it, according to Yuma sensor branch lead Robert Fletcher, speaking to DefenseScoop.
What is the Bumblebee interceptor?
A semi-autonomous quadcopter from Perennial Autonomy that destroys small drones by ramming them. The company says AI terminal guidance gives it a direct-hit rate above 70 percent. Ukrainian forces use variants against Russian FPV and reconnaissance drones.
How much do the interceptors cost?
Perseus Defense says each Mk-III interceptor costs about $2,500 to build. Perennial Autonomy holds a three-year JIATF-401 contract with a $500 million ceiling for its Merops, Bumblebee and Hornet systems.
Will these systems deploy to the border?
NORTHCOM has not said which technologies from Falcon Peak 26.2 will move toward operational use along the southern border, or on what timeline.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.