US Army selects Red Cat for short range reconnaissance drone supply

George Matus, founder of Teal and CTO of Red Cat, stated: "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."

Matus noted that Teal's system was selected based on several factors such as soldier feedback, manufacturability, unit cost, and performance. These advanced SRR drones can perform tasks like optimal route planning and target threat identification.

Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat, commented: "It is an honor to support the US 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."

Red Cat is now focused on increasing production capacity under this contract. Teal has been contracted to deliver 5,880 drones over five years with potential changes in demand from various government entities.

Teal was among three companies awarded a prototype contract for SRR Tranche 2 but became one of two finalists. The US Army mentioned that further details about this production contract would be disclosed later while not ruling out other designs.

The Black Widow was designed with high-volume production in mind for affordability where unit losses are expected. This approach aligns with similar strategies by other military branches like the United States Air Force with its collaborative combat aircraft initiatives.

Teal Drones was founded in 2015 by George Matus before being acquired by Red Cat in 2021. It operates alongside Flightwave Aerospace as wholly owned subsidiaries of Red Cat.