Lisbon, Aug. 3, 2026 (Lusa) - Portuguese tech company Tekever has been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence to supply Corvus, the British Army's new surveillance capability based on AR5 drones, under a contract worth up to €467 million, it was announced on Monday.
«As part of the programme, the British Army will use Tekever's AR5 system under a contract worth up to £400 million [around €467 million at the current exchange rate] over the next 10 years,» the company said in a statement.
The contract, in its entirety, «will create and support hundreds of highly skilled jobs at Tekever's UK facilities, strengthening the UK's defence and technology sector whilst supporting the reindustrialisation of the British industrial base».
Tekever has been selected to replace the Army's Watchkeeper capability, with «the AR5 offering significantly improved endurance, sensor capability and reliability, carrying up to 50 kg of surveillance payload, including cameras and sensors».
This system will provide «continuous surveillance and reconnaissance through round-the-clock intelligence gathering, delivering real-time data to support frontline decision-making and help protect British forces».
According to the technology firm, Corvus «reflects Tekever's approach to delivering military capability, combining proven operational systems with the continuous evolution of that capability».
The programme «builds on Tekever's growing role as a long-term partner to the UK and follows on from the company's ongoing investment in sovereign production, engineering and operational support across the UK, through its £400 million OVERMATCH strategic investment programme».
Production of the AR5 will be centralised at Tekever's new manufacturing facility in Swindon, «supported by the company's wider industrial presence across the UK, including engineering activities in Bristol and Southampton, as well as training, testing and evaluation activities in West Wales».
As part of this programme, the technology firm will lead «a consortium of UK SME partners, creating and sustaining many more jobs across the country».
Subject to signing the contract and final approvals, «the system will begin entering service later this year and will be supported by Tekever for an initial period of at least five years, with options to extend».
According to the company, the AR5 «builds on Tekever's operational experience in Ukraine, where the company's autonomous systems have already accumulated more than 50,000 operational flight hours since 2022».
Tekever «was founded on the belief that operational advantage depends on continuous adaptation. Corvus confirms this vision by combining operational experience, AI-based autonomy and sovereign industrial capability in a programme designed to evolve throughout its entire service life. «We believe this is how a lasting operational advantage will be achieved,» says the CEO, Ricardo Mendes, quoted in a press release.
For Karl Brew, managing director at Tekever, Corvus «represents a radical shift in the provision of cutting-edge autonomy to the British Army».
According to him, «it is not just about a platform, but about building and maintaining a sovereign capability that stays one step ahead» of adversaries.
«Proven in Ukraine and designed to protect British soldiers around the world, we have chosen the UK-manufactured Tekever AR5 drone to equip our personnel with equipment that will keep them ahead of emerging threats. This investment will support our troops on mission, whilst driving reindustrialisation and supporting British innovation,» concludes Wes Streeting, UK Secretary of State for Defence.
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