As Tech Advances, the Line Between Mil-Tech and Toys Blurs

Red Cat Holdings has announced its intent to deliver 200 long-range, high-speed FPV drones to Ukrainian units in June, further reinforcing the utility of the type in military service.

The model to be delivered will be the firm's Teal 2, a compact little sprinter with first-person controls and high-tech FLIR imaging. The continued use of drones both civilian and military has come to emphasize a few consistent features for a successful ISR platform: Easy handling, first-person pilotage, good battery life, robust construction, and detailed sensors. The Teal 2 sports all of the above and more, enough to be a more upscale, reliable, and hardened rendition than similar - but inferior - commercial-spec UAVs. 

The drone was made available to military, government, and commercial customers at last month's release. The Teal 2 is aimed at providing a handily compact UAV that can support accurate ISR collection at any time of day. Each Teal 2 is equipped with a Hadron 640R FLIR sensor courtesy of Teledyne, providing high-res thermal imaging that can provide users with far better target identification than first-generation airborne FLIR tech.

“Fortunately, Red Cat has the U.S. manufacturing capacity required to quickly deliver on such orders,” said Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson. “We are pleased to provide our product to Ukrainian drone pilots, and we look forward to continuing to engage with them, including by providing our new nighttime drone, the Teal 2. Much of drone activity is performed at night, and the Teal 2 is at the forefront of nighttime drone capabilities.”  

FMI: www.tealdrones.com