Teal Drones, a subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings, has announced the acquisition of an additional $1.2 million in funding to advance the development of a new prototype for the U.S. Army's Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program. Red Cat, a military technology company specializing in robotic hardware and software, is integrating its expertise to support and protect the warfighter.
Teal initially received a prototype contract for the SRR Tranche 2 program in March 2022, and the U.S. Army has now allocated a total of $2.7 million to support Teal's participation. Among the three competing vendors in Tranche 2, Teal is striving to secure the winning position, as the Army has declared this tranche to be the final phase of the SRR program.
The chosen vendor(s) will be responsible for producing a rucksack-portable small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) after successfully completing a series of testing and demonstration milestones. This system will equip Army platoons, consisting of 20 to 50 soldiers, with a rapidly deployable surveillance and reconnaissance capability, enhancing their situational awareness beyond immediate terrain.
The newly allocated funding includes additional objective requirements initially assigned to Tranche 3, elevating the standards for the sUAS prototypes.
George Matus, Founder and CEO of Teal, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to deliver the best technology to the warfighter through the SRR production contract. He is confident that the SRR prototype being developed by Teal will not only meet but exceed the Army's expectations.
“A future SRR production contract is a major opportunity for any company selected, and Teal is excited to give the warfighter the best we have,” said Teal Founder and CEO George Matus. “I’m confident the SRR prototype we’re developing will meet and exceed the Army’s requirements.”
Maj. Josh McMillion, U.S. Army SRR APM, highlighted the significance of uncrewed systems as a disruptive technology that provides soldiers with a distinct advantage on the battlefield. The SRR program aims to equip soldiers with this capability to ensure they maintain a technological edge over the enemy in any operational environment, eliminating the notion of a fair fight.
Teal's prototype will incorporate cutting-edge technology featured in its recently launched military-grade sUAS, the Teal 2. Designed to "Dominate the Night™," the Teal 2 is the leading sUAS for nighttime operations, equipped with state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. It empowers operators with time-critical information, enabling faster and smarter decision-making in the field.
Teal has partnered with renowned technology companies, including Teledyne FLIR, Doodle Labs, and Immervision, to leverage their expertise in the development of the SRR project. Together, they aim to deliver a game-changing solution that meets the demanding requirements of the U.S. Army's Short Range Reconnaissance program.
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