US Air Force orders 172 additional Teal 2 sUASs

A Teal 2 unmanned aerial vehicle in flight. (Teal Drones)

Red Cat announced a USD2.6 million purchase order to supply 172 Teal 2s to the US Defense Logistics Agency on 23 August. The company had announced an initial order for the same number of systems on 8 August. The small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) are to be operated by the US Air Force (USAF).

Red Cat is one of three companies shortlisted for the US Army's Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) programme intended to procure inexpensive, rucksack-portable sUASs. An award is expected in the October–December 2024 timeframe, Stan Nowak, Red Cat's vice-president of marketing, told Janes on the sidelines of the Association of the United States Army conference on 11 October.

Teal 2, built by Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones, is designed for night-time operations. The rotors can fold up to minimise space requirements. If broken, the rotors and gimbal assembly can “easily pop out and be replaced”, Nowak said.

The executive noted that the system, which includes the drone, four batteries, two battery chargers, control unit, spare parts, and field repair kit, costs around USD17,000, “making it cost-effective for military use”.