Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has partnered with Red Cat Holdings (RCAT, Financial) to integrate Palantir's visual navigation and AI technology into Red Cat's Black Widow drones. This collaboration aims to revolutionize autonomous small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) in modern warfare. The Black Widow drone, selected for the U.S. Army's short-range reconnaissance program, will see a performance boost by incorporating Palantir's VNav software and Warp Speed manufacturing OS.
Palantir's VNav software enhances navigation accuracy by precisely matching real-time drone positions with satellite images, addressing long-distance inertial drift issues. Red Cat's CEO Jeff Thompson is confident that the enhanced Black Widow drone will be among the most powerful deployed by the Department of Defense, highlighting its portability and ease of deployment.
Market response was positive, with Red Cat's stock (RCAT, Financial) rising 26.97% by market close. However, it fell 12.73% in after-hours trading, indicating some investor caution.
