Photo: Tekever UK
The 10-year framework agreement, with a maximum value of 400 million GBP, provides for an initial purchase of six aircraft, with a total of 24 ultimately planned for delivery to the British Army by 2029. Deliveries are expected to begin this year. The contractor will provide at least five years of in-service and logistics support.
The Tekever AR3 had previously been selected and entered service with the Royal Air Force as StormShroud. These systems are manufactured in Swindon, Wiltshire, in southern England, supporting hundreds of jobs.
According to the manufacturer, the AR5 is a medium-altitude, medium-endurance unmanned aircraft with a wingspan of 7.3 m and a length of 4 m. It has a payload capacity of up to 50 kg, allowing it to carry various electro-optical sensor turrets, a maritime surveillance radar, a synthetic aperture radar, and other sensors, including signals intelligence equipment. The AR5 has a cruising speed of 100 km/h and an endurance of up to 20 hours. It is equipped with satellite communications, giving it a range of more than 1,000 km, as well as an automatic takeoff and landing system. It can operate from short, unpaved runways.
The new aircraft will replace the 13 remaining Watchkeeper WK450 Mk1 unmanned aircraft from the 47 originally acquired. The type has been in British Army service since 2014, but in November 2024 the then-new government led by Keir Starmer decided to accelerate its retirement to March 2027 as part of cost-saving measures. The aircraft were supplied by Thales UK in cooperation with Israel’s Elbit Systems through their joint venture UAV Tactical Systems and are derived from the Israeli Hermes 450.
Watchkeeper WK450 Mk1 / Photo: Elbit Systems
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP said:
“Proven in Ukraine and designed to protect British soldiers globally, we’ve chosen the UK-based Tekever AR5 drone to supply our personnel with kit that will keep them ahead of emerging threats. This investment will support our troops on deployment, while driving re-industrialisation and backing British innovation.”
Tekever UK’s Managing Director Karl Brew said:
“CORVUS represents a major step change in delivering cutting edge autonomy to the British Army. This isn’t about a platform, it’s about building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries. Through CORVUS, TEKEVER aims to create a new type of partnership between government and industry where we will ensure a constant cycle of capability evolution that delivers decisive advantage to our end users.”
British troops will be better protected and more lethal on the battlefield, with an investment of up to £400M equipping the @BritishArmy with new spy drones.
TEKEVER’s AR5 will replace Watchkeeper drones in a deal supporting hundreds of British jobs. pic.twitter.com/wT5Vppbmh5
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 25, 2026