Security and defense UAV tech specialist Red Cat Holdings has expanded its work with US government agencies through an additional contract to supply Teal 2 drones to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) operators.
The new deal calls for the delivery of 106 of its cutting-edge Teal 2 drones to CBP units for use in official surveillance and security deployment. The contract, valued at $1.8 million, follows an initial $1 million agreement Red Cat concluded with the force last October to provide the agency with 54 Golden Eagle UAVs made by its Teal Drones affiliate.
Both models have qualified for the Department of Defense’s Blue sUAS list of assets cleared for use by US government agencies, and will now expand the CBP’s fleet.
Last month Red Cat signed a similar follow-up accord with the US Air Force’s security divisions to provide Teal 2 drones for enhanced situational awareness during patrolling, surveillance, reconnaissance, and tracking missions.
This week’s transaction falls under a $90 million Blanket Purchase Agreement between CBP and five drone companies, and adds Teal 2 drone tech capabilities to those the agency already operates with its Golden Eagle craft.
Released just last April, Teal 2 drones are designed to max out sensor capacities for more effective surveillance and reconnaissance performance, particularly during nighttime deployment. Red Cat describes the UAV as the world’s “first to be equipped with Teledyne FLIR’s new Hadron 640R sensor” – providing what it calls the highest-resolution thermal imaging in a small form factor.
Company CEO Jeff Thompson says the craft will also offer CBP operators multi-vehicle control and artificial intelligence features.
“The Border Patrol pilots are some of the best, and their feedback has been instrumental in Teal 2 enhancements,” said Thompson. “This brings our current backlog to over $7.5 million as the Teal 2 revenue continues to accelerate.”
Based on that demand, Thompson says Red Cat is increasing production capabilities by investing in a manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is “confident in our ability to meet order delivery deadlines for military, government, and commercial customers.”
The additional contract with CBP supports Red Cat’s decision last year to jettison its consumer activities and focus on the 2021-acquired Teal Drone’s growing presence in security and defense UAV business from defense contractors and US agencies like the CBP and the US Air Force.
Since then, the company has considerably expanded its partnerships with security, military, and defense entities. As part of that, the company was selected to partake in a US Army competition to develop next-generation small reconnaissance drones.
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