British Army’s Project Corvus selection highlights new era of drone sovereignty

In the immediate aftermath of the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 25 July that the Tekever AR5 surveillance drone had been selected for an up to £400 million (US$533 million) deal to replace the ageing Watchkeeper drones through Project Corvus. Notably, the announcement confirmed that the procurement programme had transitioned from an open competition to a direct award. 

In a statement issued by Tekever, managing director Karl Brew said that the proposed deal “isn’t about a platform; it’s about building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries”. Meanwhile,  UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting remarked that the direct award is “driving re-industrialisation and backing British innovation”.

These comments, and the UK’s desire for drone sovereignty, align with a broader theme within the military uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry: the growing importance of domestically producing the platform that the military will then use. This theme has been strengthening over a number of years, with Defence Insight noting that Germany, Australia and the US were all championing it in December 2025 and that France moved to do the same in April 2026.

Related Articles

UK MoD unveils first steps for British Army Watchkeeper replacement

DSEI 2025: Ukrainian drone aimed at British Army Watchkeeper replacement programme

UK air focus: Drone spending trails European frontline states despite $10.46 billion valuation

These countries have identified sovereign supply and as offering multiple advantages. In announcing the Tekever deal, the UK MoD highlighted two of these potential benefits, stating that it was expected to “help strengthen national security” and “create growth”. 

Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers could, in theory, strengthen national security by reducing the risk of restricted deliveries that could undermine a military’s effectiveness at an inopportune time. For example, in 2020, Canada halted the export of L3Harris Wescam surveillance and targeting sensors to Turkey, as it believed Azerbaijan was using the sensors in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This move reduced the effectiveness of the Turkish Bayraktar TB2s and harmed the platform’s export potential.

Added to this, the creation of domestic growth and opportunities is also appealing. Local production can strengthen domestic industries and create jobs throughout the supply chain, which can be leveraged by governments in Western democracies for political capital that would not be available to exploit had UAVs been imported from a foreign supplier. 

The rate of this change is evident in the UK’s recent Project Corvus and older Protector RG1 programmes. In 2020 and 2021, when the 16 British-specification MQ-9Bs were acquired through the Protector effort, drone sovereignty was not viewed as a priority. Although the UAV features British weapons, such as Brimstone and Paveway, the aircraft’s airframe, engine and other major features are produced by US manufacturers. 

By contrast, six years later, all known bids for Corvus before it transitioned to a direct award boasted sovereign credentials. For example, to offer the Raybird for the project, the Ukrainian company Skyeton International and the British company Prevail Partners announced the formation of a JV, Skyeton Prevail Solutions, in July 2025, committing to proceed with plans to produce the system in the UK and to establish local supply chains if selected for Corvus. 

Other companies involved – Elbit Systems UK in collaboration with U-Tac, UAVE Limited, and the downselected Tekever – all advocated for British drone sovereignty, a marked difference from the Protector purchase six years ago. Tekever is to produce the AR5 at the company’s UK sites, including the soon-to-open Swindon manufacturing facility.

Multi-year programme

The effort to replace the Watchkeeper has been a multi-year process, with the procurement programme for that drone launched in 2005. In November 2024, speaking in the House of Commons, then-Defence Secretary John Healey stated that the drone would be retired as part of a broader initiative to remove outdated equipment across the Armed Forces; a move set to save £500 million over five years. In the rationale for cancelling the programme, Healey stated that the army would “rapidly switch to a new advanced capability, drawing on the most recent operational lessons and technological developments”.

In April 2025, the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation provided more detail through a Preliminary Market Engagement Notice. Project Corvus was the name given to the initiative to replace the Watchkeeper with a “stretch target” of fielding a minimum deployable capability by the end of 2025, as outlined. Following the market engagement notice, the UK MoD launched a formal procurement process for Corvus in July.

A further, more concrete commitment to the capability came in June 2026 when the UK published its delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which outlined plans to spend £298 billion on defence over the next four years with £5 billion allocated to autonomous systems. As part of this drone focus, £310 million was allocated to the British Army’s long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, including Corvus. 

The DIP also confirmed that the entire Corvus project would cost £450 million, comprising 24 drones that would be delivered by 2029. The contract being negotiated with Tekever is almost indicative of the values outlined in the DIP, aside from the programme value.

Shephard’s Farnborough International Airshow coverage is sponsored by MBDA

Related Programmes in Defence Insight

WK 450 Watchkeeper [UK]

Protector RG1 [UK]

Project Corvus [UK]

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

Watchkeeper / Watchkeeper X

Raybird

AR5