Red Cat Holdings has partnered with cybersecurity firm SpiderOak to evaluate its Black Widow short-range reconnaissance drone for potential inclusion on the US Department of Defense’s Blue Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Cleared List. The move supports Red Cat’s effort to expand its presence across US military and federal agency drone programs.
The Blue UAS Cleared List, overseen by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), certifies unmanned aerial systems that meet stringent cybersecurity, supply chain integrity, and compliance requirements. SpiderOak, which received approval as a Blue UAS assessor in November, will conduct in-depth vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and foreign ownership, control, or influence reviews of the Black Widow platform.
The evaluation will align with multiple US government cybersecurity standards, including NIST 800-171 and 800-53 frameworks, as well as Executive Order 14028. SpiderOak will apply threat modeling, secure-by-design methodologies, and supply chain forensic analysis throughout the assessment process to ensure compliance with federal security benchmarks.
The review comes amid strong financial growth for Red Cat, which reported $9.65 million in revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, up sharply from $1.29 million a year earlier, driven largely by a $35-million short-range reconnaissance drone contract. The company develops US-made unmanned systems through subsidiaries such as Teal Drones in Utah and FlightWave Aerospace in California.
