Red Cat Expands Blue Ops Manufacturing Capabilities Through Strategic Partnership with HADDY

Collaboration brings advanced robotic 3D printing and distributed manufacturing to Valdosta facility to accelerate USV production

Apr. 6, 2026 at 10:28am

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Red Cat Holdings, Inc., a U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, has announced a strategic partnership between its maritime division, Blue Ops, and HADDY, a leader in large-scale robotic 3D printing and distributed manufacturing. The partnership will equip Blue Ops' manufacturing facility in Valdosta, Georgia with advanced Agentic AI-powered robotic production systems to support the rapid development and production of its line of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), effectively doubling overall manufacturing capacity.

Why it matters

This partnership reflects a broader shift underway in maritime manufacturing, as large-scale 3D printing reshapes how vessels are produced, enabling faster timelines, greater flexibility, and the ability to scale production in ways not possible with traditional shipbuilding methods. By combining Blue Ops' expertise in ship building and autonomous maritime systems with HADDY's microfactory approach, the companies are working to streamline how USVs are designed, built, and delivered, which is critical as demand for uncrewed systems continues to grow across defense and national security applications.

The details

Through the partnership, Blue Ops will expand its ability to design, prototype and produce multiple USV platforms, including its 5-meter and 7-meter variants. Using robotic 3D printing supported by Agentic AI models that learn and adapt, teams can iterate designs more quickly and move into production with fewer delays, reducing timelines and continuously improving performance. The flexibility of this manufacturing approach also enables a more on-demand production model, allowing Blue Ops to respond more quickly to evolving customer requirements.

  • The partnership was announced on April 6, 2026.

The players

Red Cat Holdings, Inc.

A U.S.-based provider of advanced all-domain drone and robotic solutions for defense and national security, and the parent company of Blue Ops.

Blue Ops

The maritime division of Red Cat Holdings that specializes in ship building and autonomous maritime systems.

HADDY

A leader in large-scale robotic 3D printing and distributed manufacturing, and Red Cat Holdings' partner in this strategic collaboration.

Barry Hinckley

The President of Blue Ops.

Jay Rogers

The Co-founder and CEO of HADDY.

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What they’re saying

“This partnership advances our ability to iterate at the speed of modern conflict. This also underscores a shift in how boats are built. The industry has seen moments like this when fiberglass replaced wood, and we're seeing a similar transition now with large-scale 3D printing. This fundamentally changes how quickly we can move from concept to deployment and gives us the ability to meet demand at scale in ways the industry hasn't seen before.”

— Barry Hinckley, President of Blue Ops

“Manufacturing is moving toward a more distributed and scalable model, and large-scale robotic 3D printing is a key part of that shift. By combining production technology with a global microfactory network, we can build complex systems more efficiently and closer to where they are needed. Blue Ops is early in applying this approach to maritime systems, and it has the potential to reshape how these platforms are produced and deployed.”

— Jay Rogers, Co-founder and CEO of HADDY

What’s next

As part of the collaboration, HADDY will support the buildout of a microfactory environment at Blue Ops' facility in Valdosta, Georgia. This setup is designed to increase production capacity while maintaining consistency and data protection, expanding throughput without the constraints of traditional manufacturing.

The takeaway

This partnership between Red Cat Holdings' Blue Ops division and HADDY highlights the growing shift in maritime manufacturing towards large-scale 3D printing and distributed production models. By leveraging advanced robotic systems and a global microfactory network, the companies aim to streamline the design, production, and deployment of Unmanned Surface Vessels, meeting the increasing demand for uncrewed systems in defense and national security applications.