Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance
The BlueOps Variant 7 is designed to support maritime operations including strike, force protection and coastal security. (Photo: Red Cat)
Success with the US Army’s Black Widow programme may have strengthened Red Cat’s international position, but executives believe the next growth opportunity lies in uncrewed surface vessels.
Red Cat’s rise from a drone-racing startup to a defence technology company with ambitions across air, maritime, space and cyber domains reflects a wider shift taking place across the defence industry.
The company secured a boost in credibility when its Black Widow system was selected for the US Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) programme, a contract that executives said has accelerated interest from NATO, Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern customers.
Yet during Eurosatory 2026, Red Cat officials spent as much time discussing uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) as aerial drones, highlighting the notion that the maritime domain could become the next
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