New legislation will help protect national security and privacy of American citizens
Red Cat Holdings, Inc. , a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government and commercial operations, endorses the passing of the American Security Drone Act (ASDA) as an important legislation package that benefits the federal government, domestic drone businesses, and national security. Introduced in November 2023, the bipartisan act prevents the federal government from procuring drones from countries that are deemed security threats, such as China. It was officially passed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
“The passing of the American Security Drone Act is a major milestone for domestic drone companies and also for protecting the U.S. and our allies,” stated Jeff Thompson, Founder and CEO of Red Cat. “Red Cat has invested significantly in our subsidiary Teal Drones’ factory, which recently went into mass production and can produce thousands of drones for defense forces and federal agencies. We are ready to support these organizations as they transition to safe and secure American-made drones.”
Teal Drones operates a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company’s flagship Teal 2 is an affordable, man-portable solution that is designed to “Dominate the Night™” with its best-in-class night vision camera, fully modular design, multi-vehicle control, and artificial intelligence capabilities. In celebration of its efforts in domestic manufacturing, Teal Drones was recently selected for a $750,000 Manufacturing Modernization Grant from the State of Utah. The goal of the grant is to support and modernize domestic manufacturing in Utah.
Teal 2 is designed to support U.S. military operations, public safety organizations, and U.S. government agencies in a variety of environments. It is both Blue UAS Certified, which means it is approved by the Department of Defense, and FAA Remote ID approved.
“The government’s support of American manufacturing is monumental and will ensure that better products are built and used domestically. This act will level the playing field for American manufacturing against our greatest geopolitical rival,” stated Brendan Stewart, VP, Regulatory Affairs at Red Cat. “We are also committed to supporting legislation to subsidize the cost of switching drones and will work closely with the government and our peers to ensure that agencies have access to the best technology available.”