# Merops Interceptor at U.S. Central Command (Middle East): deployment

Canonical ID: `c7046976-74d4-4eca-be1b-602978595c65`

13,000 Merops interceptors purchased by U.S. Army for CENTCOM operations against Iranian Shahed drones. Systems currently employed by U.S. forces in CENTCOM per JIATF-401.

**Trust tier:** Unverified

_Last updated: 2026-07-06_

- **Slug:** merops-centcom-middle-east
- **Status:** operational
- **Model:** [Merops Interceptor](/models/merops.md) (id: `2df43ab2-a8e8-4fbc-a1b7-22b1581503fe`)
- **Company:** [Perennial Autonomy](/companies/perennial-autonomy.md) (id: `bf4b4053-f086-4305-82bf-f11d193b1ec5`)
- **Location:** [U.S. Central Command (Middle East)](/locations/centcom-middle-east.md) (id: `b72bf0cd-3195-4e19-9159-e7c13a66ffd9`)
- **First seen:** 2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Verification log (0, append-only)

_No verifications recorded._

## Sources (1)

1. **Pentagon awards $500M contract** · https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/19/pentagon-awards-500-million-contract-to-perennial-autonomy-for-counter-drone-systems/ · 2025-04-01

## Common questions

### What is the Merops Interceptor deployment at U.S. Central Command (Middle East)?

Merops Interceptor, built by Perennial Autonomy, is recorded as a deployment at U.S. Central Command (Middle East) on the DEPLOY registry. Perennial Autonomy operates the deployment directly.

### Who operates Merops Interceptor at U.S. Central Command (Middle East)?

Perennial Autonomy, the manufacturer of Merops Interceptor, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.

### When did the Merops Interceptor deployment at U.S. Central Command (Middle East) go live?

The deployment is recorded as starting April 1, 2025 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.

### Have there been incidents at the Merops Interceptor deployment at U.S. Central Command (Middle East)?

No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.


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