The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded TEKEVER a contract worth up to £400 million under Project CORVUS to bring its AR5 long-endurance uncrewed aerial system (UAS) into service with the British Army.
The strategic agreement will equip military commanders with a new generation of persistent, long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to support operations across a wide range of environments. Selection of the AR5 platform follows extensive operational deployment, including more than 50,000 flight hours accumulated in Ukraine since 2022.
The contract forms a major part of TEKEVER’s £400 million OVERMATCH strategic investment programme, anchoring the company’s sovereign engineering, manufacturing, training, and operational support within the United Kingdom. Platform manufacturing for the AR5 will be centred at the firm’s Swindon facility, supported by a broader footprint across the country alongside a consortium of British SME partners.
Karl Brew, TEKEVER UK Managing Director, said, “The signing of this contract marks the beginning of a new chapter in our partnership with the British Army and the UK Ministry of Defence. CORVUS is more than a surveillance system; it represents a fundamentally different approach to delivering military capability, one that continuously evolves to stay ahead of operational demands.”
Brew added, “CORVUS will provide the British Army with a highly capable, sovereign surveillance system while supporting skilled jobs, innovation and industrial growth across the UK. We look forward to working closely with the Ministry of Defence and our industry partners to deliver a capability which will continue to evolve throughout its service life.”
In addition to expanding domestic manufacturing, the procurement aims to rapidly modernize front-line intelligence gathering while supporting skilled UK defense industrial jobs.
Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, added, “Our soldiers deserve the best technology, and that’s what we’re delivering. From small drones giving troops eyes on the enemy, to the AR5 offering commanders better intelligence over the battlefield, we’re transforming the Army’s ability to see, understand and act first.”
“This is defence procurement that backs British industry, creates skilled jobs and keeps our Armed Forces ahead of our adversaries,” Pollard added.
The AR5 system is scheduled to begin entering service with the British Army later this year, delivering enhanced endurance, improved reliability, and advanced intelligence-gathering capability to support operational decision-making and personnel protection.
