Blue Ops Ramps into Full-Rate Production of U.S.-Built Variant 7, Advancing Red Cat’s Autonomy Stack Across Air, Land and Sea

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SALT LAKE CITY, May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT) (“Red Cat” or the “Company”), a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, today announced that its maritime division, Blue Ops, is ramping into full-rate production of the Variant 7 (V7) uncrewed surface vessel (“USV”), a maritime autonomy platform designed, built and assembled in the United States for U.S. and allied defense missions. The Variant 7 is a mission-adaptable USV powered by a Steyr engine and integrated with a domestic autonomy, command-and-control, communications, and mission systems stack. As the U.S. -developed platform advanced from early prototype to production, Blue Ops prioritized U.S.-made and NDAA-compliant components across its navigation, control, marine hardware and perception systems, reflecting its commitment to domestic research and development, manufacturing, trusted supply chains and scalable production. “Blue Ops is moving Variant 7 into full-rate production because the mission demand is here now,” said Barry Hinckley, President of Blue Ops. “This platform brings together U.S. boatbuilding expertise, a modern tech stack that was designed and developed domestically, and a defense-ready supply chain for customers who cannot compromise on origin, reliability, or adaptability. We designed Variant 7 to be built at scale and configured for the missions our customers face.” The production launch builds on more than 250 years of U.S. maritime excellence, from the shipyards and seafaring traditions that helped establish the United States as a global maritime power to the modern defense industrial base now shaping autonomous systems. V7 is designed in Maine, manufactured in both Maine and Valdosta, Georgia, and supported by extensive research, development and testing in West Palm Beach, Florida. Blue Ops’ prototype work was supported by Hodgdon Shipbuilding, the oldest continuously operated shipbuilder in America, and reflects the Hinckley Yacht family’s 98-year legacy as premier quality boatbuilders. Engineered for real-world maritime operations, V7 is designed for sea state endurance, maintainability, survivability, operational simplicity, and long-term mission reliability. The platform supports missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; force protection; harbo...

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