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INDEPENDENT PERSPECTIVE
THE EVOLVING FIELD GUIDE
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DEFENCE DRONES / THE LIBRARY

Compare the evidence.

Choose up to three systems. Specifications retain their source and configuration; missing information is left undisclosed.

Black Widow

A US small reconnaissance multirotor with US Army programme involvement and Japanese procurement announced in April 2026.

Country / region
United States
Programme status
Order / production commitment
Sources reviewed
20 Sept 2026
Order / production commitmentOrder / production commitment
Primary domain
Air
System type
Reconnaissance aircraft
Developer / manufacturer
Teal Drones / Red Cat
Origin / production countries
United States
Other names
No additional names recorded
Variants / configurations
Black Widow baseline; Later software / sensor configurations
Operators / programme customers
US Army programme; Japan Ground Self-Defense Force — order; Australian Army — supplier-reported order

Evidence & current status

The sources below establish the stated programme milestone or supplier claim. They do not independently verify every configuration, delivery total or advertised performance figure.

Role & capabilities

  • Reconnaissance aircraft

Specifications in context

Airframe
Small reconnaissance multirotor

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Launch / recovery
Vertical take-off and landing

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Propulsion
Not established from the reviewed public sources.

Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted.

Source ↗
Dimensions
Not established from the reviewed public sources.

Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted.

Source ↗
Mass
1.93 kg investor-deck aircraft weight

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Endurance
45+ min in cited deck; later configurations may differ

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Range
8 km in cited deck

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Speed
13 m/s

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Altitude
Not established from the reviewed public sources.

Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted.

Source ↗
Payload
Not established from the reviewed public sources.

Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted.

Source ↗
Sensors
Stabilised EO/IR Hadron 640R+ configuration

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗
Communications / navigation
Configuration-dependent GNSS and radio options

Published specification for the named configuration. Maxima are not necessarily achievable together.

Source ↗