Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government and business operations, announced August 22 that the military-grade Teal 2 had received Distant ID certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The news was closely followed on August 23 by an announcement that the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) had doubled its order for Teal 2, ordering a further 172 units plus spare parts and training. The DLA order now totals over $5 million.
The Teal 2 is a US-manufactured, short range reconnaissance (SRR) drone. With the motto “Dominate the Night™” they’re specially designed for tactical work even in darkness: ideal for military, law enforcement, firefighter, and wildlife management applications.
Teal 2 and Distant ID
All operators within the US must comply with the Distant ID rule as of September 16, 2023. Distant ID allows UAS in flight to offer identification and site information that other parties – corresponding to law enforcement – can receive via a broadcast signal. This helps security agencies discover the operators of rogue drones – and understand which drones are operating legitimately within the space. For a tactical drone like Teal 2, which could also be deployed in emergency situations, Distant ID is a critical tool for integration into first responder missions.
Red Cat’s integrated Distant ID system goes above and beyond the technology getting used in competing drones. It sits contained in the Teal 2 vehicle, broadcasting data from the flight control system about once per second to make sure a high level of accuracy. The usage of Bluetooth 5 allows the signal to be transmitted over an extended distance — so far as a mile — significantly outpacing the range of other systems in the marketplace.
“I believe this really speaks to who we’re at Red Cat and what our values are,” said Brendan Stewart, vice chairman of regulatory affairs at Red Cat. “We view ourselves as an aircraft manufacturer, versus a consumer electronics manufacturer constructing something that flies. What sets us apart is our ability to look into the long run, work out what the FAA’s goals are in implementing a selected regulation, after which construct technology that permits us to not only meet the regulation today, but sets our customers up for long-term success in a changing regulatory environment.”
Red Cat recently tested its Distant ID integration in Latest York with NUAIR acting because the independent third-party validator, using ASTM International standard F3586-22 for the technique of compliance testing. Working alongside individuals from the standardization committee who helped write the regulations for Distant ID, NUAIR personnel also provided mission commander, visual observers, airworthiness check and test card formulation.
“Distant ID is one other great step forward to soundly integrate drones into the national airspace and move the business drone industry forward,” said NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart. “NUAIR has conducted multiple validations for other ASTM Standards including sUAS parachute recovery systems and we’re joyful to see Red Cat receive their certification following our successful validation of their Distant ID solution.”
All Teal 2 systems sold for operation throughout the U.S. can be manufactured with Distant ID included. Red Cat can be making a pathway for owners of previously manufactured Teal 2s to have Distant ID modules installed on their units to comply with FAA regulations.
“We’ve put loads of effort, loads of resources and loads of capital into this to be sure that our customers won’t have a service interruption,” said Brendan Stewart. “For us at Red Cat, standing behind the standard of our products means ensuring that they’ll remain operational and compliant with regulations long into the long run.”
Latest Order of Teal 2 Drones
Teal will deliver a further 172 units of the Teal 2 drone plus spare parts and training to the DLA. Earlier this month, Red Cat announced an initial order from the DLA for 172 units, also totaling $2.6 million. Combined, the 2 orders now total $5.2 million.
Each orders were requested by U.S. Air Force Security Forces, whose role is to defend Air Force bases and installations.
“The Air Force must secure its airfields and bases 24/7, and the Teal 2 offers the highest-resolution night vision in its class,” said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. “We’re honored that the Air Force has now doubled its order, to greater than $5 million.”
The procurements were sourced by global operations support company Noble Supply & Logistics, LLC (NOBLE) as a part of the DLA’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) Program.
NOBLE is a DLA-designated provider for the SOE TLS Program. This 10-year program, capped at $33 billion, covers the delivery of logistics support to federal agencies, military bases and other DLA customers worldwide, helping them meet their SOE requirements.
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