{"id":"c7046976-74d4-4eca-be1b-602978595c65","modelId":"2df43ab2-a8e8-4fbc-a1b7-22b1581503fe","versionId":null,"locationId":"b72bf0cd-3195-4e19-9159-e7c13a66ffd9","operatorId":null,"ownerId":null,"slug":"merops-centcom-middle-east","status":"operational","firstSeen":"2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"unreviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://defensescoop.com/2026/05/19/pentagon-awards-500-million-contract-to-perennial-autonomy-for-counter-drone-systems/","label":"Pentagon awards $500M contract","title":"Pentagon awards $500M contract","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"DefenseScoop","publishedAt":"2025-04-01"}],"notes":"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.","keyFacts":[],"reviewNote":null,"exposureHours":null,"exposureBasis":null,"customerSegment":null,"scaleTier":null,"contractValueUsd":null,"contractValueBasis":null,"customerCompanyId":null,"customerExternalName":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:02.079Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:02.079Z","model":{"id":"2df43ab2-a8e8-4fbc-a1b7-22b1581503fe","companyId":"bf4b4053-f086-4305-82bf-f11d193b1ec5","modelName":"Merops Interceptor","slug":"merops","description":"","formFactor":"defense","maturityStage":"commercial","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByModelId":null,"specs":{},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2026/05/19/pentagon-inks-500-million-deal-with-perennial-autonomy-for-counter-drone-tech/","title":"Pentagon inks 500 million deal with Perennial Autonomy for counter-drone tech","sourceName":"Defense News"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[],"createdAt":"2026-07-06T04:59:51.632Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:18.700Z","company":{"id":"bf4b4053-f086-4305-82bf-f11d193b1ec5","name":"Perennial Autonomy","slug":"perennial-autonomy","description":"Perennial Autonomy is a defense technology company developing AI-enabled counter-drone systems, originally launched by former [Google](/companies/google) CEO Eric Schmidt as Project Eagle (formerly White Stork). Best known for the [Merops](/models/merops) interceptor drone, which has downed over 4,000 Russian Shahed drones in Ukraine since mid-2024, the company also produces the Bumblebee quadcopter and Hornet midrange strike drone. Its systems are deployed by U.S. forces in CENTCOM and by Ukrainian, Polish, and Lithuanian militaries.","status":null,"founded":2023,"hq":"California, USA","fundingTotal":"505200000","type":"hardware","reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2026/05/19/pentagon-inks-500-million-deal-with-perennial-autonomy-for-counter-drone-tech/","title":"Pentagon inks 500 million deal with Perennial Autonomy for counter-drone tech","sourceName":"Defense News"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Founder","value":"Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO)"},{"label":"Pentagon contract","value":"$500M IDIQ (May 2026, 3-year)"},{"label":"Combat record","value":"4,000+ drones intercepted in Ukraine"},{"label":"Unit cost","value":"approximately $15,000 per Merops interceptor"},{"label":"Product family","value":"Merops (interceptor), Bumblebee (quadcopter), Hornet (strike drone)"},{"label":"Also known as","value":"Project Eagle, White Stork"},{"label":"CEO","value":"Mike Wior"},{"label":"Former names","value":"White Stork (2023), Project Eagle (2024)"},{"label":"Key contract","value":"$500M JIATF-401 IDIQ (May 2026)"},{"label":"Merops unit cost","value":"~$15,000 per interceptor"},{"label":"Bumblebee delivered","value":"tens of thousands to Ukrainian Armed Forces"}],"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T04:59:51.233Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:38.485Z"}},"version":null,"location":{"id":"b72bf0cd-3195-4e19-9159-e7c13a66ffd9","name":"U.S. Central Command (Middle East)","slug":"centcom-middle-east","kind":"region","parentLocationId":null,"region":null,"lat":null,"lng":null,"reviewStatus":"unreviewed","aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"high","reviewNote":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:01.317Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T05:05:01.317Z"},"operator":null,"owner":null,"derived":{"trustTier":"unverified","currentPosture":null},"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Event","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/merops-centcom-middle-east","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/deployments/merops-centcom-middle-east","name":"Merops Interceptor at U.S. Central Command (Middle East)","identifier":"c7046976-74d4-4eca-be1b-602978595c65","startDate":"2025-04-01T00:00:00.000Z","location":{"@type":"Place","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/locations/centcom-middle-east","name":"U.S. Central Command (Middle East)"},"organizer":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/companies/perennial-autonomy","name":"Perennial Autonomy"},"about":{"@type":"Product","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/models/merops","name":"Merops Interceptor"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"unreviewed","maturity_stage":"commercial","lifecycle_state":"active","architectural_position":{"cohort":"defense","sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}