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Red Cat Holdings, Inc., a leader in American drone technology, has been awarded the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Program of Record.
The selection was finalized after a rigorous multi-phase evaluation process and solidifies Red Cat’s Teal System, a next-generation small unmanned aerial system (sUAS), as a cornerstone of the US Army’s reconnaissance capabilities.
This achievement marks the culmination of years of development and testing overseen by:
- The Army Project Management Office for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
- Army Maneuver Battle Lab
- Army Test and Evaluation Command
- The Army Operational Test Center
The Teal next-generation system, recently branded as the Black Widow, is purpose-built to provide advanced situational awareness for warfighters in challenging operational environments.
Designed for portability and rapid deployment, the Black Widow represents a significant leap forward in small unmanned aerial system technology for the U.S. Army.
Key Features
- Lightweight and easy to transport for maximum operational flexibility
- Real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities
- Designed to scale efficiently to meet large acquisition demands
- Meets Army cost objectives without compromising performance
Speaking of this selection, George Matus, founder of Teal and CTO of Red Cat commented, “This is a powerful moment in time, coming after five years of blood, sweat, and tears put into SRR by our incredible team. The long-awaited production selection marks a new era for our company and the future of American drones.
“We were selected based on soldier feedback, technical performance, volume manufacturability, and system cost. Our top priority now is to start ramping production of the next generation system, recently announced as the Black Widow and WEB, and give warfighters the tools they need to be successful on the modern battlefield.”
Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat, added, “Warfare has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past two years, with a significant shift towards drone technology, exemplified by the SRR Black Widow. It is an honor to support the U.S. Army by delivering the Black Widow to our warfighters. We believe this advanced technology will enable the Army to shape the battlefield, save soldiers’ lives, and serve as a powerful tool in their arsenal. This long-term contract will give us the capability to continue to improve the Black Widow, scale production and improve margins.”
The SRR Program selection follows significant advancements by Red Cat, including the acquisition of FlightWave Aerospace, the launch of the ARACHNID™ family of systems, and the establishment of the Red Cat Futures Initiative.
With the Army’s acquisition objective set at 5,880 systems over five years, Red Cat is scaling production to meet demand while preparing to support additional U.S. Department of Defense, federal government, and allied nation requirements.
Retired Four-Star Army General and Red Cat board member, Paul Edward Funk II, said, “Both the operational and tactical levels of war and maneuver of combat elements have evolved significantly over the past couple of years.
“Operational success today depends on the ability to seamlessly move data across the battlefield. From a tactical perspective, small unmanned aerial systems that are rucksack portable are playing a vital role in Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance, as well as surgical strike capabilities based on the real-time needs of the warfighter.”
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