Overview
- The Ministry of Defence announced Saturday an initial order of six AR5 aircraft with options to rise to 24 by 2029 under a programme worth up to £400 million over ten years.
- Tekever’s AR5 can carry up to 50 kg of cameras and sensors and offers longer flight endurance to deliver real-time intelligence to commanders on the battlefield.
- Tekever will build the drones at a new Swindon manufacturing facility and the MOD says the full contract will sustain and create hundreds of skilled jobs across Tekever’s UK sites.
- The selection ends the Army’s reliance on the Thales-built Watchkeeper, a platform in service since 2014 that suffered years of delays and a series of crashes during testing and operations.
- Subject to contract signature and final approvals, the MOD expects the AR5 to begin entering service later in 2026 with at least five years of sustainment and options to extend.