Red Cat’s Teal Drones Black Widow System approved for NATO Support and Procurement Agency catalogue

The inclusion highlights Black Widow’s readiness for allied missions while meeting the procurement standards expected by government customers. Quantities, configurations and delivery schedules will continue to be determined by end users under NSPA’s standard processes.

“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 small uncrewed aerial system selected by the U.S. Army as one of two vendors for its Short Range Reconnaissance programme. It is designed for tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, perimeter security, overwatch and other defence and security operations.

Built in the United States, Black Widow complies with NDAA standards, is portable at under three pounds, and can be deployed within minutes by a single operator. The drone features advanced EO/IR sensors, over 45 minutes of endurance, encrypted high-bandwidth communications, and modular payload architecture enabling third-party AI and computer vision integration.

Its rugged design supports all-weather operations and rapid field repair, while an integrated Doodle Labs radio ensures robust, long-range and secure communications with resistance to electronic warfare. Interchangeable payloads and open ecosystem support allow for mission-specific configurations and third-party integrations.

The contract for Black Widow’s inclusion in the NSPA catalogue runs for three years, with options for two additional years at NSPA’s discretion.