A new UK-Ukrainian joint venture between Skyeton and Prevail Partners has been launched to deliver a high-performance UAS capability to the UK and allied forces.
The partnership combines Skyeton’s battle-proven platform with Prevail’s defense integration expertise, offering a fast-track solution to the growing demand for adaptable and cost-effective unmanned systems.
At the core of the joint venture is Raybird, a NATO Class 1 UAS developed by Skyeton, which has accumulated more than 350,000 operational flight hours during active deployment in Ukraine. The platform has demonstrated exceptional mission success rates, high survivability, and minimal operator risk across a wide range of battlefield conditions.
As part of this joint venture, Skyeton Prevail Solutions, will be exhibiting at DSEI London 2025 on September 9-12, at Stand S2-155
Scalable, Modular, and Ready-Now
Raybird supports tool-free payload hot-swapping and is compatible with a range of mission-specific modules, including:
- Gimbal-stabilised EO/IR camera for target acquisition
- High-resolution reconnaissance camera
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for low-visibility operations
- RF locator for signal intelligence and tracking
Designed for rapid deployment in under 25 minutes, the UAS is highly mobile and has been heavily favoured by front-line operators for its operational resilience and ease of use.
Strategic Value for UK Defense
The joint venture enables UK-based manufacturing of Raybird systems to support both Ukrainian operations and Western defense requirements, in line with the UK’s evolving UAS strategy. The initiative directly supports the UK Government’s goals outlined in the recent Strategic Defence Review, which called for an accelerated procurement process and the establishment of a UK Drone Centre.
“This joint venture is an important step in developing Britain’s long-range drone manufacturing capabilities,” said The Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP, who recently visited Skyeton’s facilities in Ukraine and saw first-hand Its battlefield-tested technologies and highly skilled engineering teams, placing it among the world’s leading dual-use drone manufacturers. He added, “Skyeton’s JV with Prevail’s strategic, operational and intelligence capabilities will help put Britain at the forefront of drone technology and production, tapping into our world-class talented pool of engineers, universities and R&D centres, creating employment and upskilling opportunities.”
The partnership is also expected to generate up to £60 million annually for the UK economy and create 160 skilled jobs, while bolstering sovereign UAS production capabilities.
Industry Insight and Leadership
Justin Hedges OBE, Chairman of Prevail Partners, commented, “Prevail has been present in Ukraine since before the Russian invasion and over that time, we’ve witnessed the exceptional innovation of UAS technology. We identified Raybird as a world-leading aircraft with capabilities well beyond those of other Class 1 UAS; as a result, we made the decision to seek a joint venture with Skyeton to build Raybird in the UK, help develop its integration into the UK’s and NATO’s battlefield operations and maritime security and thereby answer some of the challenges that the Strategic Defence Review presented.”
Pavlo Shevchuk, International CEO at Skyeton commented, “Raybird has been incredibly effective under the most demanding conditions on the Ukrainian battlefield. By forming an alliance with a respected British company, bringing experience in platform integration and systems deployment, we expect the utility of our unmanned aerial system to grow globally and exponentially.”
Official Launch at RUSI
The joint venture was formally introduced at a launch event at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, attended by MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Fred Thomas, and Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge. The event underscored the strategic importance of the partnership in delivering agile, battle-tested, and scalable UAS solutions to meet modern military requirements.
The venture is aligned with the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership and is positioned to strengthen the UK’s role in sovereign uncrewed systems development.
Meet Skyeton Prevail Solutions at DSEI London, on September 9th-12th 2025, at Stand S2-155.
