Powering Tactical ISR with Trusted Comms for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance Program
Abstract
Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radios have been chosen as the communications backbone for Teal’s Black Widow drone, part of the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Tranche 2 initiative. This collaboration delivers advanced, secure, and resilient datalinks that allow Teal to meet the Army’s stringent operational demands. The integration establishes a foundation for a larger, connected drone ecosystem built on Doodle Labs’ communications architecture.
Background
As the Department of Defense pushes forward with the deployment of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems, robust and reliable communications have become essential for effective tactical ISR. The U.S. Army’s SRR program was developed to provide brigade commanders with a rapidly deployable drone capable of operating in GPS-denied and electronically contested environments, offering crucial situational awareness on the battlefield.
What is the SRR Program of Record?
The SRR initiative is part of the U.S. Army’s broader modernization strategy. As a Program of Record, it seeks to deliver an organic short-range ISR capability to Brigade Combat Teams. These drones must be easy to operate, cost-effective, and capable of performing in challenging real-world conditions—such as dense urban environments and areas subject to electronic warfare.
Purpose of Tranche 2
Tranche 2 marks the next phase in the SRR program, with a focus on scaling production and deploying drones to operational units. Candidate systems were subjected to a series of rigorous evaluations, including assessments of environmental resilience, cybersecurity compliance, size, weight and power (SWaP) efficiency, and anti-jamming capabilities.
The Competition: Teal Black Widow vs. Skydio X2D
The Army tested multiple drone platforms from Blue UAS-approved manufacturers, including the Teal Black Widow and Skydio X2D. While both contenders offered strong performance, only Teal’s Black Widow met all of the Army’s requirements. Its success was largely due to superior performance in contested RF environments and a modular architecture designed to support future capabilities.
Why Teal Won – Enabled by Doodle Labs
A key differentiator in Teal’s success was the integration of Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radios. These radios provided the advanced communications capabilities needed to meet the SRR Tranche 2 specifications. With proprietary Sense Technology, the Helix radios deliver low detectability and anti-jamming capabilities crucial for environments like Ukraine. Dual-band operation and adaptive modulation allow for long-range, low-latency HD video and telemetry, even beyond visual line of sight.
Doodle Labs also delivered a compact, SWaP-optimized solution built to MIL-STD standards, perfectly suited for Group 1 drones. Their radios are fully NDAA-compliant and appear on the Blue UAS Cleared List, ensuring secure and trusted performance.
What It Means for Teal and Doodle Labs
Winning the SRR Tranche 2 contract is a multi-year, production-scale achievement for Teal. Thousands of systems are expected to be fielded across Brigade Combat Teams over the next five years, each one equipped with Doodle Labs’ resilient communications technology. This positions Doodle Labs as a critical enabler of the Army’s next generation of tactical autonomy.
Teal Black Widow Highlights
Teal’s Black Widow drone, powered by Doodle Labs’ Helix Mesh Rider Radio with Sense Technology, has proven its capabilities in real-world conflict zones. It is fully NDAA-compliant, Blue UAS-approved, and validated in EW-contested environments.
Why Teal Chose Doodle Labs
Doodle Labs outperformed competing communications solutions across several key areas:
- Performance & Range: High fidelity video streaming over 5 km on Defense frequency bands.
- Reliability: Proven resilience in GPS-denied and EW-active environments.
- Cybersecurity: Fully NDAA compliant and Blue UAS certified.
- Upgrade Path: Delivered superior performance compared to legacy Microhard radios.
- Integration Support: Close collaboration and SDK alignment with Teal engineers.
- Ecosystem Expansion: Supports the development of the ARACHNID drone family and cross-platform comms.
- Strategic Value: Building the ARACHNID Ecosystem
This partnership is about more than a single program. By standardizing on Doodle Labs’ communications platform, Teal is paving the way for a broader family of interoperable drones. The Helix system is positioned to become the communications backbone for Red Cat’s additional platforms and integrations, including PDW’s MRR drone.
Looking Ahead
Teal and Doodle Labs are continuing to innovate and expand the boundaries of tactical drone capabilities. Their partnership will evolve with enhanced spectral agility via next-gen waveforms, expanded electronic warfare testing, and a focus on future-proofing communications for multi-domain operations.
About Teal / Red Cat
Red Cat (Nasdaq: RCAT) is a military technology company that integrates robotic hardware and software to provide critical situational awareness and actionable intelligence to on-the-ground warfighters and battlefield commanders. Its mission is to enhance the effectiveness and safety of military operations domestically and globally – and to “Dominate the Night.” Red Cat’s suite of solutions includes Teal Drones, developer of the Golden Eagle, a small unmanned system with the highest resolution imaging for nighttime operations, and Skypersonic, a leading provider of unmanned aircraft for interior spaces and other dangerous environments. Learn more at https://www.redcatholdings.com.
