Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, today announced that in March 2026, a NATO ally selected its Black Widow™ sUAS on a competitive tender, with delivery of an undisclosed number of systems scheduled for delivery during calendar year 2026. The contract was facilitated through NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). Each system includes two Black Widow aircraft, a ground control station (GCS), and other mission-critical components. The Black Widow™ is Red Cat’s flagship small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS), engineered for tactical edge ISR missions with a compact, rugged design and secure communications architecture. Built in the U.S. and compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the platform is a key part of Red Cat’s Family of Systems, offering modular, scalable solutions across multiple operational domains.
“This contract reflects a broader shift toward systems that can move quickly from procurement to deployment,” said Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat. “NATO allies need platforms that are deployable today for use in contested environments, built on secure U.S. supply chains, and able to be manufactured and fielded at scale. Black Widow is designed for that reality, delivering reliable ISR at the tactical edge where speed, readiness, and electronic warfare resilience are critical to mission success.”
The Black Widow Short Range Reconnaissance drone is a highly adaptable and resilient system designed for modern contested environments, featuring a Doodle Hex-Band Radio with frequency-stepping for enhanced electronic warfare resistance, an integrated FLIR Prism AI software stack, and optional Reveal Farsight 3D mapping capabilities. It supports advanced target identification, tracking, and classification, along with forward-looking obstacle avoidance and visual navigation for GPS-denied operations. Powered by a Qualcomm RB5 chip, the drone delivers high-performance AI processing, while its modular arms and flexible payload configurations enable mission customization. Additional features include a stealth mode for radio-silent mission execution, a quiet acoustic signature for discreet operations, optional Athena AI-assisted target recognition by Sightline Intelligence, and a rucksack-portable, field-repairable design for maximum operational mobility and sustainment.
Red Cat (Nasdaq: RCAT) is a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Teal Drones and FlightWave Aerospace, Red Cat develops American-made hardware and software that support military, government, and public safety operations across air, land, and sea. Its Family of Systems, led by Black Widow™, delivers unmatched tactical capabilities in small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). Expanding into the maritime domain through Blue Ops, Inc., Red Cat is also innovating in uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), delivering integrated platforms designed to enhance safety and multi-domain mission effectiveness.
