Red Cat Holdings has commenced full-rate production of its Variant 7 (V7) unmanned surface vessel (USV), expanding its portfolio of autonomous systems for US and allied military customers.
Developed by Red Cat’s maritime division Blue Ops, the V7 is a modular platform designed for missions including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, harbor security, and contested logistics.
The production ramp-up comes as Washington increases support for autonomous military systems and seeks to strengthen the US maritime industrial base.
“Blue Ops is moving Variant 7 into full-rate production because the mission demand is here now,” Blue Ops President Barry Hinckley stated.
“We designed Variant 7 to be built at scale and configured for the missions our customers face.”
The Blue Ops Variant 7
The V7 incorporates US-made autonomy and communications systems with NDAA-compliant components.
It supports payload integration, with a base sensor suite that includes a day-and-night electro-optical/infrared targeting system, an acoustic detector, and redundant imaging systems.
Red Cat said future variants could support swarm operations through its recently acquired subsidiary Apium Swarm Robotics, which develops distributed autonomy software for unmanned platforms.
The vessel measures up to 8 meters (26 feet), depending on configurations, and can carry a payload of up to 650 kilograms (1,433 pounds).
It is built to operate in Sea State 4, with waves of up to 8 feet (2.4 meters).
The V7 sails with a Steyr diesel engine producing 270 horsepower, enabling speeds of up to 40 knots (74 kilometers/46 miles per hour), a range of over 800 nautical miles (1,482 kilometers/921 miles), and more than 60 hours of endurance.
