The US Army has chosen Red Cat’s next-generation Teal unmanned aerial system (UAS) as its new short-range reconnaissance (SRR) platform.
The decision followed a rigorous evaluation process, which included a series of performance and reliability tests and soldier feedback.
Company official George Matus expressed pride in the selection, emphasizing that it will enable the company to move quickly into production and provide warfighters with the tools they need to succeed on the modern battlefield.
“This is a powerful moment in time, coming after five years of blood, sweat, and tears put into SRR by our incredible team,” he noted. “The long-awaited production selection marks a new era for our company and the future of American drones.”
The Teal UAS is a rugged quadcopter purpose-built for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
It is equipped with the Tomahawk Robotics Kinesis command-and-control user interface, which provides seamless operation from launch to landing.
Short-Range Reconnaissance Program
The US Army’s SRR program aims to develop a compact drone capable of flying up to 1.6 nautical miles (1.8 miles/3 kilometers) for a maximum duration of 30 minutes.
The UAS must also be able to reach an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) and operate in winds up to 15 knots (17 miles/27 kilometers per hour).
Red Cat’s selection represents the second tranche of the SRR program, with Skydio’s RQ-28A quadcopter securing the first tranche.
According to an army spokesperson, the service will continue evaluating other solutions for future SRR requirements.
For the second tranche, the US Army reportedly plans to procure 5,880 Teal systems over the next five years.