AR5 surveillance UAV selected to replace British Army Watchkeeper system
NewsAugust 06, 2026
SWINDON, United Kingdom. TEKEVER was selected by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for a contract worth up to £400 million over 10 years to provide the British Army with an AR5-based surveillance capability known as CORVUS, the company announced in a statement.
The autonomous uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) will replace the Army’s Watchkeeper system and provide persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance through day-and-night operations, the statement reads.
The AR5 can carry as much as 50 kilograms of cameras and other sensor payloads while transmitting data to support battlefield decisions, the company says. The CORVUS program will also permit new technologies and operational updates to be incorporated during the system’s service life.
Production will be based at TEKEVER’s manufacturing facility in Swindon, with engineering work conducted in Bristol and Southampton and testing and training activities performed in West Wales, according to the statement. A group of United Kingdom-based small and medium-sized businesses will support the program.
Subject to final approvals and contract signature, the system is expected to begin entering British Army service in 2026, TEKEVER adds.
