Defense and security UAV specialist group Red Cat Holdings says its cutting-edge Teal Drones affiliate has obtained a further $1.2 million to develop a new, portable UAV as standard issue equipment for soldiers, under the US Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program.
Red Cat announced the development Wednesday, saying the new funding extension had increased Teal’s total to $2.7 million under the program. At the same time, the military tech group said the US Army’s initial plans to continue its SRR program with a future third round of competition has been scaled back.
Read: US Army asks Blue sUAS suppliers to create small drone munition-dropping capabilities
Instead, Red Cat noted, Teal and two other drone companies participating in the SRR’s current Tranche 2 activities will continue development of specialized portable military drones as de facto finalists. More than one UAV may be selected in the US Army’s final decision.
Teal was first tapped by the US Army in March 2022 to create a small, rucksack portable drone providing platoons of between 20 and 50 soldiers with situational awareness of remote terrain they can’t see from ground positions.
To do so, Red Cat says the company is adapting and enhancing its Department of Defense compliant, Blue sUAS qualified Golden Eagle UAV, which is already used for data collection, reconnaissance, and other operations by combat soldiers, police officers, firefighters, wildlife managers, and industrial inspectors.
“Uncrewed systems are a disruptive technology that provide soldiers an unfair advantage on the battlefield,” said Maj. Josh McMillion, US Army SRR assistant program manager. “SRR is the Army’s solution to provide this capability now to ensure our soldiers have the technological edge over the enemy in any operational environment.”
The addition SRR financing comes in the wake of Red Cat’s strategic decision last year to exit the consumer-side activities it had also been involved in to focus exclusively on Teal’s military and security drone work.
Since then the move has not only yielded the release last April of the night-vision Teal 2 craft, but has also produced the kinds of aerial systems Red Cat has released fewer details about, like the high-speed, longer-range UAVs it has supplied to Ukraine.
Read: Red Cat’s Teal 2 drone marks its second on coveted Blue sUAS list
Teal Drones CEO George Matus, who founded the company in 2014 at the age of just 16, says the extended US Army SRR funding, and implicit commitment behind it, is additional validation of Red Cat’s repositioning.
“A future SRR production contract is a major opportunity for any company selected, and Teal is excited to give the warfighter the best we have,” said Teal founder and CEO George Matus. “I’m confident the SRR prototype we’re developing will meet and exceed the Army’s requirements.”
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments