Red Cat inks Teal 2 drone deal for US Air Force base protection service

Defense and security UAV and robotics group Red Cat Holdings has announced its new contract to supply a US government agency with over 150 of its Teal 2 drones, which will be used for the monitoring and protection of US Air Force bases.

Red Cat said it will deliver a total of 172 Teal 2 drones to the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under a deal concluded with global operations support company Noble Supply & Logistics, LLC (NOBLE) serving as intermediary. Valued at $2.6 million and financed by the DLA’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (Program, the agreement marks a significant client addition for the Utah-based Teal Drones tactical UAV specialist – the most recent since its owner Red Cat began focusing exclusively on defense activities last year.

Read: Red Cat’s Teal 2 drone marks its second on coveted Blue sUAS list

The order originates with the  US Air Force Security Forces, which is responsible for the security and defense of the corps’ bases and installations in the nation and around the world. The outfit joins the US Customs and Border Protection agency as a Red Cat customer of Teal 2 drones, which were introduced last April.

Along with earlier Golden Eagle craft, the Teal 2 has qualified for the select Blue sUAS program of UAVs approved by the Department of Defense for use by US government agencies.

Going beyond the impressive tech chops of that predecessor drone, the Teal 2 is capable of assuring top-notch reconnaissance and intelligence gathering performance even in nighttime and other obscure operational environments. Red Cat calls it the world’s first UAV to be equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s new Hadron 640R sensor, providing operators the highest resolution thermal imaging in a compact aerial vehicle. 

Read: Red Cat’s Teal Drones gets $1.2M more in US Army bid funding

Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson celebrated the agreement with the DLA as further validating the company’s decision to divest from its other previous consumer drone activities to focus entirely on developing Teal and its security and defense specialization.

“It’s an honor to supply the United States Air Force with the Teal 2 sUAS,” said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. “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.”