Red Cat segment Teal Drones has received a $2.6-million contract to deliver Teal 2 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for the US Air Force Security Forces.
Requested through the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the order includes 172 Teal 2 drones, corresponding spare parts, and training.
The Teal 2 was developed to address the requirements of night tactical operations.
It is the first sUAS equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s latest Hadron 640R sensor, which provides the highest-resolution thermal imaging in a small form factor.
The Teal 2 incorporates multi-vehicle control, artificial intelligence, advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for the delivery of time-critical information and rapid decision-making.
“It’s an honor to supply the United States Air Force with the Teal 2 sUAS,” Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson stated. “The Teal 2’s industry-leading night-vision capabilities will be a strong asset in helping the Air Force to secure airfields and bases after dark.”
Operational Equipment Logistics Support
The procurement was sourced under DLA’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) program.
Capped at $33 billion, the 10-year SOE TLS program covers wide-scale logistics work to support US federal agencies, military facilities, and other international DLA partners to meet their SOE requirements.
Blue UAS in the US
The US Department of Defense approved Teal 2 as a “Blue UAS” for future procurements available through the federal government’s GSA Advantage website.
It was officially launched in April and received a 54-unit order from the US Customs and Border Protection and a 10-unit order from the Civil Air Patrol’s North Carolina Wing.