TEKEVER has expanded its autonomous product portfolio into the heavy lift class for civilian and military applications with the introduction of its new AR6 family of systems.
The platform aims to address a critical market gap in the heavy lift drone segment, which is currently dominated by electric vertical takeoff and landing systems that typically carry 100kg over very short distances of one to five kilometers. By utilizing specialist advances in hydraulic and propulsion technology, the new platform is engineered to deliver a 200kg payload capacity over a 500km range.
Designed and built in the United Kingdom alongside domestic small and medium-sized enterprise partners, the system offers a UK sovereign solution. Production is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026 at the company’s manufacturing hub in Swindon.
The platforms are built to withstand harsh environments, operating in both extreme heat and cold with minimized maintenance and sustainment costs. Civil applications for the system span logistics, offshore operations, medical support, search and rescue, and disaster relief. On the military side, the platform is suited for casualty evacuation, forward logistics, and combat wingman concepts, such as the UK Apache teaming initiative under Project Nyx.
The military variant will be able to operate entirely without reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems. It features advanced mission autonomy capabilities for multi-platform swarming, crewed teaming, and enhanced survivability. The design integrates the company’s core proprietary autonomy stack, rapid iteration capabilities, operational experience from Ukraine, and an “as a service” operational model.
“AR6 represents the next evolution of our autonomous capability,” said Ricardo Mendes, CEO of TEKEVER. “For years, we’ve helped customers move information. Today, we’re extending that capability to moving what matters most. Autonomous Lift opens a new category of missions for TEKEVER and, more importantly, for our customers.“
“The future of autonomy is about delivering operational outcomes,” said Karl Brew, Head of TEKEVER UK. “AR6 expands the envelop enabling us to leverage all of the experience we have built up in Ukraine and around the world into a whole new set of use cases. “
