Red Cat’s Black Widow Drone Added to NATO Procurement Catalogue

Red Cat, a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security has announced that the Black Widow System, developed by its subsidiary Teal Drones, has been approved and added to the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) catalogue. 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.

Inclusion in the NSPA catalogue underscores Black Widow’s readiness for allied missions while maintaining the procurement rigor government customers expect. While the designation facilitates procurement opportunities, specific quantities, configurations, and delivery timelines are determined by end users through NSPA’s standard processes. The approval also highlights Red Cat’s commitment to equipping NATO members and partners with trusted, U.S.-manufactured drone technology.

“Black Widow gives allied forces a rugged, rapidly deployable ISR capability with minimal training burden,” said Geoffrey Hitchcock, Chief Revenue Officer at Red Cat. “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 is a mission-ready small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) that the U.S. Army selected as one of two vendors to manufacture systems for its Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program. Black Widow drones equip warfighters with advanced, networked communication systems designed to address emerging threats. It is designed for tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), perimeter security, overwatch, and other defense and security missions. Built in the United States, Black Widow features:

1. NDAA compliance, ensuring trusted sourcing and cybersecurity standards
2. Rucksack portability: compact and lightweight at under 3 lbs., easily deployed by a single operator in minutes
3. Advanced EO/IR sensors: equipped with a Teledyne FLIR Hadron 640R EO/IR camera optimized for day and night operations
4. 45+ minutes of endurance with encrypted, high-bandwidth communications for secure data transmission
5. Modular payload architecture enabling integration of third-party AI and computer vision apps for 3D mapping, target acquisition, and decision support
6. Rugged design for harsh environments, including all-weather operations and rapid field repair
7. Integrated Doodle Labs radio for robust, secure, long-range communications with electronic warfare (EW) resistance
8. Interchangeable payloads and open ecosystem support, enabling mission-specific configurations and third-party integrations

The inclusion of Black Widow in the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) catalogue is based on 3-year contract with options for 2 additional years at NSPA’s discretion.