Military Drone Support for Ukraine: Red Cat CEO Visits NATO Countries

Red Cat Holdings CEO Visiting NATO Countries to Discuss Military Drone Support for Ukraine

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

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Jeff Thompson, CEO of military technology company Red Cat Holdings, will be part of a delegation visiting NATO countries this week to discuss military drone support for Ukrainian forces.

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Red Cat subsidiary Teal Drones’ new military-grade drone, the Teal 2, will be showcased by Thompson to NATO leaders. Anticipated to launch in Q2 2023 and currently available to first-adopter customers, the Teal 2 is designed to be the world-leading drone solution for nighttime operations.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian forces “lack enough drones to spot targets and direct artillery – especially more-expensive models with night-vision cameras that would allow them to work in the dark, when the Russians seek to creep forward.”

“In Ukraine and elsewhere, most military operations take place at night, and the Teal 2 gives warfighters exactly the solution they need,” said Thompson. “Teal 2 is the first drone to integrate the world’s best new night-time drone camera – next-generation thermal-imaging technology from Teledyne FLIR. We’ve also partnered with other industry leaders, such as Tomahawk Robotics, Reveal Technology and Immervision, to offer additional game-changing drone capabilities. These include multi-vehicle control, 3D mapping and object detection.”

So far, Red Cat has filled an order for 54 units of the Teal 2 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which will be deployed to grant supplemental airborne reconnaissance, surveillance and tracking capabilities for enhanced situational awareness.

Red Cat also previously filled an order from a NATO member country for 15 units of Teal’s Golden Eagle drone for deployment to Ukrainian forces.

“Red Cat wants to do all we can to get the Ukrainian warfighter the best and latest American technology that allows them to dominate the night, and that’s why I’m meeting with European military decision makers this week,” said Thompson.

Teal is part of the Blue UAS cleared list, which designates manufacturers with the authorization to supply the U.S. military with equipment. The company is also one of only three drone manufacturers invited to participate in the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance Tranche 2 (SRR T2), a program for the development of a portable small uncrewed aerial system for use by army platoons in surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.