Operation Flytrap was conducted as part of Blind Tiger Communications’ selection as a Top-10 company from a competitive field of more than 200 applicants in the U.S. Army xTech Counter-Strike competition. Blind Tiger was the only selected finalist whose counter-UAS approach was based on cellular control-plane techniques rather than kinetic, RF-denial, or detection-only methods.
Army xTech Counter-Strike is a competitive innovation program designed to identify and evaluate non-traditional counter-UAS solutions capable of addressing emerging aerial threats in operational environments. Blind Tiger’s selection reflected its differentiated focus on controlling cellular connectivity at the network layer—an approach applicable to any platform relying on cellular modems for command, telemetry, or mission coordination.
Operation Flytrap was executed as a counter-UAS event focused on commercial drones that depend on civilian cellular infrastructure. Rather than targeting airframes or attempting to disrupt radio links, the effort examined how policy-driven control of cellular connectivity affects drone operations that rely on live commercial networks.
Blind Tiger’s approach is platform-agnostic by design. During Flytrap, cellular policy was applied uniformly to modems regardless of whether they were embedded in drones, mobile phones, or other connected devices. This demonstrated a key operational distinction: counter-UAS effects can be achieved by controlling connectivity, independent of the physical form factor of the device.
Prior to enforcement activities, Blind Tiger employed its Periscope survey capability to characterize the cellular environment. The survey identified active LTE and 5G networks, broadcast behavior, and coverage overlap, providing the baseline required to apply standards-compliant control-plane policy without disrupting lawful services.
While Flytrap remained a counter-UAS evaluation, a secondary lesson emerged regarding protected facilities and command environments. Even locations secured by physical perimeter controls—such as tactical operations centers (TOCs) or forward operating bases—often depend on cellular systems operating inside or adjacent to the secured area. These networks may be implicitly trusted and left unmanaged from a security perspective.
Historical precedent underscores this risk. The Athens Olympic Games cellular surveillance incident demonstrated how cellular infrastructure itself can become the attack surface, even when physical security is extensive. Operation Flytrap showed that similar exposure exists when cellular connectivity is left uncontrolled within defended areas.
Throughout the event, Blind Tiger employed no RF jamming, accessed no user payloads, and collected no personally identifiable information. All outcomes were achieved using standards-compliant cellular signaling, preserving regulatory compliance and lawful commercial communications.
Blind Tiger’s Top-10 selection—and its position as the only cellular-based C-UAS solution evaluated under xTech Counter-Strike—highlight the relevance of network-level control as a complement to traditional detection, interdiction, and physical security measures.
More information on the xTech Counter-Strike competition is available at xtech.army.mil/competition/xtechcounterstrike .