Jeff Thompson, CEO, Red Cat
As unmanned systems become central to modern military operations, defence forces worldwide are seeking ISR platforms that are secure, interoperable, and tailored for real operational environments. Red Cat has positioned itself in this evolving landscape by focusing on defence-specific design, modular open architectures, and a Family of Systems approach that integrates air and maritime capabilities. In an interview with Arabian Defence, Jeff Thompson, CEO, Red Cat explains how it differentiates itself in a crowded global drone market, the role of platforms such as Black Widow™ and FANG™, the expansion into maritime ISR through Blue Ops, and how emerging technologies, partnerships, and compliance standards are shaping its long-term vision for allied and international defence customers.
How does Red Cat differentiate itself in a crowded global drone and ISR market?
Red Cat differentiates itself in the drone industry on several fronts. First, the Black Widow™ drone and larger Arachnid Family of Systems was purpose built for defense use cases. The Black Widow, which Red Cat is delivering to the US Army as part of the Short Range Reconnaissance program, was developed specifically based on the needs of the warfighter. Red Cat’s drones were designed from the start to meet the strict operational and tactical requirements for missions in complex environments and are NDAA compliant.
Second, Red Cat stands apart due to its approach with industry partnerships, including with hardware and software companies. Red Cat’s core competency is building drones and as a company, has embraced the strategy of modularity, open architectures and tech integrations with some of the top companies in AI, visual navigation, swarming, EW resistant radios and more. Through the Red Cat Futures Initiative and other key partnerships, Red Cat is able to deliver systems with all of the capabilities needed by the end user based on specific mission requirements.
How does the FANG system fit into your broader Family of Systems strategy?
FANG™ fits into Red Cat’s Family of small ISR & precision effects systems as a low-cost, NDAA-compliant FPV drone purpose-built for tactical edge operations. It adds a critical new layer to our ecosystem by delivering precision strike capability, while maintaining the trusted American manufacturing and compliance standards our defense and security partners require.
Our Family of Systems strategy is centered on giving operators access to a range of drones tailored to specific mission needs, all unified by a shared software backbone and common control interface. FANG fits seamlessly into this approach, allowing teams to conduct rapid, high-impact engagements as part of a larger, coordinated system.
The integration of FANG with larger air platforms, like AV’s P550™ UAS, demonstrates how our systems can work together to extend reach, speed, and deployment flexibility. By building a connected ecosystem of specialized drones, Red Cat enables faster decision-making, greater adaptability, and increased effectiveness for the modern warfighter.
What is the vision behind Blue Ops and how is Red Cat addressing maritime ISR needs?
Blue Ops is Red Cat’s dedicated maritime division, launched to extend our Family of Systems strategy into the uncrewed surface vessel (USV) domain. The vision is to bring the same mission-driven innovation, American-made reliability, and integrated autonomy that define our aerial platforms to the maritime environment. The goal is to enable situational awareness and decision-making across all operational domains.
As maritime operations grow more complex, so does the demand for persistent, flexible, and secure ISR capabilities on the water. Blue Ops is addressing this need with USVs designed for multi-domain awareness and autonomous mission execution. These systems are built to support everything from littoral surveillance and port security to long-duration reconnaissance, while integrating with Red Cat’s broader ecosystem of autonomous platforms.
Blue Ops USVs are being developed to operate in concert with Red Cat’s aerial drones, enabling coordinated multi-domain operations from a unified command and control architecture. This creates new opportunities for advanced mission profiles such as swarming, cross-domain target tracking, and distributed sensing across air and sea. By connecting maritime and aerial ISR assets in real time, Red Cat is giving operators a more complete and actionable intelligence picture, delivered through a single integrated system.
What does Black Widow’s listing in the NSPA catalogue mean for allied forces, and what capabilities does the system offer?
Black Widow’s inclusion in the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) catalogue significantly streamlines the acquisition process for allied forces, making it faster and easier to procure a U.S.-made, NATO-interoperable sUAS without lengthy approval cycles or custom contracting. This listing affirms Black Widow’s compliance with NATO standards and positions it as a vetted, mission-ready platform for ISR operations across member states.
Black Widow is a secure, autonomous quadcopter built for frontline intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. It is lightweight, rucksack portable, and can be launched in under 30 seconds. The system delivers high-resolution EO/IR imagery, operates day or night, and is designed for use in contested environments. With encrypted communications and real-time data streaming, Black Widow gives operators the situational awareness they need to make fast, informed decisions on the battlefield.
Which emerging technologies are shaping Red Cat’s next generation of systems?
There are a lot of emerging technologies that are helping to shape Red Cat’s systems from visual navigation, to voice-activated control, to swarming capabilities to EW resilient radios. We are focused on technologies that help warfighters operate efficiently and effectively on the modern battlefield where EW and GPS denied environments are the new reality.
We are working with companies in the Red Cat’s Futures Initiative and other partners whose technologies directly support mission-critical needs. Palantir enables visual navigation where GPS is not available. Sightline Intelligence delivers onboard target recognition and visual threat classification. Primordial Labs supports autonomous, voice-based mission execution. Doodle Labs provides secure, high-bandwidth communication that can resist interference and support electronic warfare environments. Sentien Robotics, Apium and Palladyne are enabling swarm capabilities.
The result of these partnerships and integrations is a drone system that improves awareness, speeds up decision-making, and reduces operator workload without compromising performance or reliability.
What does Red Cat’s presence at the World Defense Show signal about its global priorities?
Participating in the World Defense Show reflects our commitment to supporting allied nations and international defense partners who are expanding their investment in ISR, autonomous systems, and border protection. Many countries are looking for secure, American made solutions that align with NATO and U.S. compliance frameworks. Red Cat is well positioned to meet those needs.
The demand for small, fast, mission-specific systems is growing globally, especially in regions where traditional platforms are too expensive, too slow to deploy, or not suited for the terrain. Our systems are built to be adaptable and interoperable. Being at the World Defense Show is not just about visibility. It is about forming relationships, understanding mission needs on the ground, and demonstrating that Red Cat can deliver solutions that are practical, reliable, and ready to scale across multiple environments.
How does Red Cat plan to position itself long term in the global unmanned systems market?
Our focus is on providing systems that solve real operational problems and can be deployed quickly in the field. We are not trying to replace every drone or compete on general use cases. Instead, we are focused on tactical advantage, giving operators systems they can trust to work when and where they need them.
Our strategy is built around integration, specialization, and domestic manufacturing. All of our platforms are designed to work together. They are easy to train on, easy to deploy, and built with a clear understanding of how missions are actually executed. We are also aligned with U.S. policy on secure supply chains and trusted technology sourcing. By staying focused on quality, adaptability, and trust, we are positioning Red Cat as a dependable partner in a market that is moving fast and becoming more demanding every year.
