BELFAST — The UK says it will spend up to £400 million ($533 million) over the next decade on locally produced Tekever AR5 surveillance drones as a replacement for its troubled British Army Watchkeeper aircraft.
Near term, the UK MoD plans on ordering a first batch of six AR5s and expects to receive a fleet of up to 24 units by 2029, according to an MoD statement. The MoD said Tekever, a British-Portuguese firm, will make the aircraft in a new production facility envisioned as opening in the summer of 2026 in Swindon, England.
Watchkeeper intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) drones have been in service for more than a decade, but in November 2024 the MoD reached a decision to scrap a planned acquisition of 46 airframes as part of sweeping equipment cuts aimed at delivering savings of £500 million over five years.
Then-UK Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Capability) Lt. Gen. Robert Magowan previously told lawmakers that the MoD learned from the Ukraine war that Watchkeeper is “no longer fit for operational purpose,” and a replacement capability would be delivered in 2025. (Thales UK, manufacturer of the Watchkeeper, told FlightGlobal that while London’s decision to cut the platform was “disappointing,” the company said it was “proud of Watchkeeper’s success in Afghanistan, support to Border Force and, most recently, being deployed in Estonia.”)
Today’s MoD announcement did not disclose why the 2025 replacement timeline was not met, but a long delay to publication of its Defence Investment Plan could be a probable cause. The MoD had not responded to a request for comment at press time.
“The new AR5 offers significantly improved endurance, sensor capability and reliability, ensuring that the Army maintains a battle-winning edge in surveillance and reconnaissance systems,” said the MoD statement. “The drone has been utilised by Ukraine’s Armed Forces on the battlefield, as they continue their fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion.”
It added that entry to service is slated to take place later this year, dependent on contract signature and final approvals. According to company literature, the AR5 has a 50 kg (110 pound) payload capacity, features a cruise speed of 100km/h (60 mph) and a maximum endurance of 20 hours.
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The latest Tekever deal comes a year after the Royal Air Force’s first autonomous collaborative platform (ACP) drone, labelled StormShroud entered service.
Stormshroud, also built by Tekever, combines the firm’s AR3 tactical aerial system (UAS) with Leonardo UK’s BriteStorm stand-in jammer, effectively transforming it into an ACP that integrates suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) capabilities and the ability to work in tandem with RAF fighter jets in contested airspace.
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