Redwire and Red Cat Announce Strategic Drone Integration Concept to Meet Multiple U.S. Army Echelon Needs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW), a global leader in space and defense technology solutions, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Edge Autonomy, has partnered with Red Cat (Nasdaq: RCAT), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security. Together, the companies will integrate Red Cat’s Teal Drones Black Widow — a compact, small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) quadcopter — with Edge Autonomy’s Stalker, a Group 2 fixed-wing VTOL UAS, to support U.S. Army echelon missions requiring advanced surveillance, reconnaissance, and situational awareness.

The Edge Autonomy Stalker is purpose built with a modular open systems approach (MOSA) to meet multiple mission needs. With flexible payload capacity, the Stalker can easily integrate compact drones to support the U.S. Army across multiple echelons including platoon, company, battalion, and brigade. The Black Widow can be mounted under the center wing of the Stalker as a deployable payload, extending mission range with the Stalker acting as a carrier, launch platform, and communications relay.

“Our Stalker is combat proven with exceptional long-range reconnaissance capabilities,” said Steve Adlich, President of Edge Autonomy. “When paired with the well-recognized short-range reconnaissance of Teal’s Black Widow, we provide frontline warfighters with greater mission reach and reliable data for efficient and effective decision making.”

The Black Widow, part of Red Cat’s Family of Systems, is a secure, NDAA-compliant ISR drone designed to deliver real-time intelligence at the tactical edge and is built to meet the mission-critical needs of U.S. and allied forces.

In November 2024, the Army selected the Black Widow for its SRR Tranche 2 program, which provides reliable and efficient intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance tools for soldiers in the field.

“This collaboration represents a major step forward in how tactical drones are deployed across multiple echelons,” said Jeff Thompson, CEO of Red Cat. “The integration of short and long range reconnaissance systems answers the Army’s requirements for a rapidly deployable, easily portable tactical situational awareness in even the harshest contested areas.”

Edge Autonomy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Redwire, specializes in delivering innovative uncrewed aerial systems, advanced optics, and resilient energy solutions that are being used by the DoD, U.S. Federal Civilian Agencies, and allied governments. With products deployed in nearly 80 countries, and with nearly three decades of technology heritage and manufacturing expertise, Edge Autonomy’s experienced team delivers proven solutions based on real-world mission needs.

About Redwire

(NYSE:RDW) is an integrated space and defense tech company focused on advanced technologies. We are building the future of aerospace infrastructure, autonomous systems and multi-domain operations leveraging digital engineering and AI automation. Redwire’s approximately 1,300 employees located throughout the United States and Europe are committed to delivering innovative space and airborne platforms transforming the future of multi-domain operations. For more information, please visit RDW.com.