The Black Widow™ System, developed by Red Cat Holdings’ subsidiary Teal Drones, has been approved for inclusion in the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) catalogue, underscoring this small uncrewed aerial system’s (sUAS) readiness for allied missions while upholding high procurement standards government customers expect.
This designation enables NATO member nations and eligible partners to procure the Black Widow through NSPA-managed channels, including direct catalogue ordering and sponsored tenders, with specific quantities, configurations, and delivery timelines determined by end users through NSPA’s standard processes.
The approval highlights Red Cat’s commitment to providing NATO members and partners with trusted, U.S.-manufactured drone technology.
Black Widow, a mission-ready sUAS built in the U.S., provides warfighters with advanced, networked communication systems addressing emerging threats. This sUAS is developed for defense and security missions, including tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), perimeter security, and overwatch.
The system is compact and lightweight at under 3 lbs., able to be carried and deployed by a single operator in minutes using a rucksack. Black Widow is fully NDAA-compliant, ensuring trusted sourcing and adherence to cybersecurity standards.
It is equipped with advanced EO/IR sensors, including a Teledyne FLIR Hadron 640R camera optimized for day and night operations. It offers over 45 minutes of endurance and features encrypted, high-bandwidth communications for secure data transmission.
Black Widow’s modular payload architecture allows integration of third-party AI and computer vision applications for 3D mapping, target acquisition, and decision support. It has a rugged design for harsh environments, supporting all-weather operations and rapid field repair.
An integrated Doodle Labs radio provides robust, long-range communications with resistance to electronic warfare (EW). Its interchangeable payloads and open ecosystem also enable mission-specific configurations and third-party integrations.
Black Widow was also selected by the U.S. Army as one of two vendors to manufacture systems for its Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program.
Geoffrey Hitchcock, Chief Revenue Officer at Red Cat, stated, “Black Widow gives allied forces a rugged, rapidly deployable ISR capability with minimal training burden. Being available through NSPA simplifies cross-border acquisition and sustainment, helping customers move from requirement to fielding faster. Just as importantly, it ensures NATO forces can operate with a trusted, American-made system that is fully interoperable with allied mission requirements.”
Black Widow’s inclusion in the NSPA catalogue is based on a 3 year contract with options for 2 additional years at NSPA’s discretion.
