The UK Ministry of Defence plans to spend up to £400m on Tekever AR5 reconnaissance drones, which have been used by Ukraine since 2022. Built in Swindon, the AR5 can carry 50kg of sensors and is expected to enter service later this year, with an initial order of six and options for up to 18 more by 2029. The drones will replace the troubled Watchkeeper fleet, whose retirement has been delayed to March 2027 at an additional cost of £115.8m. The procurement is part of a wider £5bn UK investment in drone technology over the next four years.
UK to Buy Tekever AR5 Recon Drones Battle‑Tested in Ukraine, Up to £400m Deal
Chancellor John Healey inspecting an AR5 at the Tekever manufacturing plant in Swindon - Jaimi Joy/© 2026 PA Media, All Rights Reserved
British soldiers are set to receive dozens of AR5 reconnaissance drones manufactured for service in the UK after being battle‑tested by Ukrainian forces. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed plans to spend up to £400m on the Tekever AR5 unmanned aerial vehicles, a purchase the department says will support hundreds of jobs and boost domestic drone production.
Production, Capability and Deployment
The AR5s will be built at the UK’s new drone manufacturing facility in Swindon and are expected to begin entering service later this year. Designed by Portuguese firm Tekever, the AR5 has been widely used by Ukraine since 2022 to support long‑range reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance operations.
The aircraft can carry up to 50kg of advanced sensors and cameras, allowing extended surveillance, target identification and threat monitoring across a broad area. The MoD says the AR5 will deliver significantly improved endurance, sensor capability and reliability compared with the system it replaces.
Procurement And Watchkeeper Replacement
The Army has placed an initial order for six AR5s with options to procure up to 18 more by 2029 as part of a potential 10‑year contract that remains subject to signature and final approval. The AR5 fleet is intended to replace the Army’s Watchkeeper drones, which entered service in 2014 but have suffered operational problems.
Eight of Britain's 54 Watchkeeper drones have crashed since 2014 - Corporal Anil Gurung/Ministry of Defence
The Watchkeeper programme was originally ordered in 2005 for about £800m but eventual costs rose to approximately £1.35bn. The platform experienced reliability issues in the field: eight of the 54 Watchkeeper drones have crashed since 2014, and sources told the MoD some aircraft proved too temperamental and complex for frontline use.
Timing And Financial Impact
In November 2024 then‑Defence Secretary John Healey announced an early retirement for Watchkeeper with an initial withdrawal date of March 2025. The Government later postponed the withdrawal to March 2027, a delay ministers have acknowledged will cost taxpayers an additional £115.8m.
The MoD says the AR5 procurement will be far more capable than Watchkeeper and that the up to £400m deal will help sustain and create hundreds of jobs across the UK. The purchase forms part of a broader Defence Investment Plan: the UK expects to invest about £5bn in new drone technologies over the next four years.
Wes Streeting, Defence Secretary: "Proven in Ukraine and designed to protect British soldiers globally, we've chosen the UK‑based Tekever AR5 drone to supply our personnel with kit that will keep them ahead of emerging threats. This investment will support our troops on deployment, while driving re‑industrialisation and backing British innovation."
Note: Contract signature and final approvals are pending; figures and timelines are based on current MoD announcements.
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