— FlightWave Aerospace has announced that it has secured a $1.9 million award through the U.S. Air Force’s Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program. Following the recent acquisition of FlightWave by Red Cat Holdings, Inc., the company will use the funding to support critical enhancements to the Edge 130 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) system, now a part of Red Cat’s family of low-cost, portable unmanned reconnaissance and precision lethal strike systems.
The TACFI program, part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s broader Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) initiative, provides resources to expedite the commercialization and deployment of innovative technologies for national security. This award recognizes FlightWave’s continued leadership in developing UAS technologies that meet the unique demands of military and government missions. The goal with this contract is to bring new capabilities for the Edge 130 to meet the evolving needs of the U.S. Air Force and position FlightWave for future larger contract awards.
“This award will enable us to deliver next-generation performance in unmanned systems, providing our Air Force customers with a multi-role, highly autonomous VTOL platform capable of tackling the most demanding operations,”
said Trent Lukaczyk, CTO and Co-Founder of FlightWave Aerospace.
“We are honored to receive this TACFI award and eager to accelerate the development of the Edge 130 VTOL with these enhanced capabilities,”
said Larry Berkin, COO of FlightWave Aerospace.
“The Edge 130 Blue’s long-range inspection, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities provide warfighters with a significant tactical advantage on the modern battlefield,” said Jeff Thompson, Red Cat CEO. “The new enhancements developed in collaboration with the Air Force will boost this advantage further. When integrated with the Red Cat Family of Systems, the Edge 130 will become a formidable target and precision strike system for air, land, and sea environments.”
The Edge 130 VTOL is known for its hybrid fixed-wing and rotary design, offering superior endurance, range, and flexibility compared to traditional drone platforms. With the TACFI funding, FlightWave will focus on incorporating advanced autonomy features, longer endurance options, increased payload capacities, and enhanced communication systems—all of which will make the Edge 130 VTOL a more capable asset for defense applications.
These upgrades are expected to bolster the platform’s ability to operate in contested environments, perform ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions, and support logistics in complex terrains. The enhancements also align with the Department of Defense’s push toward integrating more resilient and autonomous unmanned systems into its tactical operations.
FlightWave plans to demonstrate these enhanced capabilities in collaboration with Air Force units by early 2025, further strengthening its commitment to supporting national security objectives while continuing to expand into the commercial sector.
Source:FlightWave