Golden Eagle quadcopters destined for Ukraine
The Golden Eagle quadcopter has been evaluated by the US Army. (Photo: Teal Drones)
An unnamed European NATO military is buying 15 quadcopter mini-UAVs for onward transfer to Ukraine.
Puerto Rico-based Red Cat Holdings announced on 4 April that its US subsidiary Teal Drones has received an order from an unnamed European NATO member state to supply 15 Golden Eagle short-range micro-UAVs for onward transfer to Ukraine.
The deal also includes spare parts and training.
Red Cat did not disclose the value of the deal or the delivery timeframe, although Shephard Defence Insight describes a flyaway unit cost of $12,000 for Golden Eagle.
Mass-produced entirely in the US with DoD-compliant components, the Golden Eagle quadcopter is 40cm long, 40cm wide and 15cm in height, with an MTOW of 1kg, top speed of 80km/h, range of 3.7km and 50-minute mission endurance.
Noting that many European governments have raised their defence budgets in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson said: ‘Many countries and military units are recognising the strategic benefit of having an adequate baseline inventory of drone units that can be invaluable in reconnaissance and surveillance on the front lines.’
He added: ‘We believe this [order for Golden Eagle] is the first of many relationships and purchases in the region.’
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