Puerto Rico–based drone manufacturer Red Cat Holdings has entered into a partnership with SpiderOak, a cybersecurity firm based in Virginia, to support the evaluation of its Black Widow reconnaissance drone for placement on the DoD’s Blue UAS Cleared List.
The Blue UAS program, administered by the Defense Innovation Unit, is designed to ensure that unmanned aircraft systems satisfy stringent digital security, supply-chain resilience, and compliance standards prior to adoption by U.S. defense and federal government users.
As an approved Blue UAS assessor, SpiderOak will conduct a comprehensive review of the Black Widow, including cyber vulnerability testing, penetration assessments, and analysis of any foreign ownership, control, or influence concerns.
Assessment criteria will follow key federal frameworks such as NIST 800-171, NIST 800-53, and Executive Order 14028, with SpiderOak employing threat modeling, secure-by-design evaluations, and supply-chain forensic techniques throughout the process.
The initiative aligns with Red Cat’s growing presence within the U.S. defense market. During the third quarter of fiscal 2025, the company posted $9.65 million in revenue, up significantly from $1.29 million the previous year, supported by a $35 million contract for short-range reconnaissance drones.
Red Cat’s unmanned systems are developed and produced in the United States through subsidiaries such as Teal Drones and FlightWave Aerospace, based in Utah and California, respectively.
