Red Cat, a producer of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), had a busy October, as the company announced new contracts with the Royal Australian Navy and United States Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), in addition to the presentation of its Arachnid UAS family.
The company has sold 12 FlightWave Edge 130 Blue UAS for the Australian Navy. The Edge 130 is a vertical take-off landing (VTOL) drone with advanced long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The tricopter has an endurance of over one hour and is “ideal for maritime operations and littoral environments,” the company explained. The contract was secured via the Australia-based Criterion Solutions Pty Ltd.
Moreover, the company has procured a USD one million contract with CECOM for an undisclosed number of Edge 130 Bluedrones. “It is great to deepen our relationship with the US Army and to be part of CECOM’s mission to deliver C5ISR systems that enable full-spectrum combat operations at the point of need,” said Jeff Thompson, Red Cat CEO. The contract was procured via the logistics company Noble and the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on behalf of CECOM.
The company declined to provide Zona Militar with more information about both contracts. However, the company told ZM that they are waiting for a final response over the US Army Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program, which seeks to “improve operational effectiveness by equipping the force with the latest cutting-edge UAS technology.” Red Cat has been shortlisted by the Army and the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for the SRR Tranche 2 (SRR T2) Program of Record, the company explained.
FlightWave was acquired by Red Cat in September 2024.
Besides these new contracts, the company is also expanding its portfolio. At the Association for the United States Army (AUSA) expo in Washington, DC, in October, Red Cat introduced for the first time its Arachnid family of UASs, composed of Black Widow, the successor to the company’s Teal 2 drone; the first-person view Fang drone; and Trichon, a military-grade VTOL tricopter for medium-range mapping and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The company said it expects to start taking orders for Black Widow by January 2025 and commence production by Q2 of the same year.
Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – the AUKUS alliance – are increasingly interested in uncrewed systems. Throughout October, the three countries participated in Exercise Autonomous Warrior (AW) 2024, the first large-scale demonstration of advanced capabilities in Australia, specifically in Jervis Bay, New South Wales. The exercise was carried out under the AUKUS Pillar II Maritime Big Play initiative, with Japan participating as an observer.
At exercise AW, uncrewed systems took center stage. Some of the uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), uncrewed surface vessels (USV), small USVs (sUSVs), and UASs deployed included Sea Stalker, Remus 600, Speartooth, the Australian Ocius Bluebottle, and the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) built by the Maritime Applied Physics Corporation. At AW, Anduril publicly displayed its secretive Ghost Shark UUV for the first time.
Communications, command, and control formed vital aspects of AW 2024. According to the US Department of Defense, a versatile and robust software-defined network architecture called Multi-Domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC) was tested in addition to a Common Control System (CCS). “This effort supports future work to create an AUKUS-wide Common Control System, fusing best elements of the three countries’ existing systems,” explained the US government.
While Red Cat did not reportedly participate in AW, they may participate in the future, particularly when the Arachnid family starts taking orders and the SRR program is finalized.
Wilder Alejandro Sánchez is an analyst who focuses on international defense, security, and geopolitical issues across the Western Hemisphere, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe. He is the President of Second Floor Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, DC. Follow him on X/Twitter: @W_Alex_Sanchez.
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