British Army Seeks New Drone to Withstand Jamming and Deliver 24/7 Battlefield Surveillance.

On 31 July 2025, the UK Ministry of Defence formally issued a tender worth an estimated £130 million excluding VAT (approximately €150 million) under the framework of Project Corvus. The programme aims to equip the British Army with a new tactical drone system capable of delivering 24-hour persistent surveillance in support of division-level ground operations in contested environments. Published on the Find a Tender platform, the notice marks a key step in the ongoing shift in the British Army's ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) capabilities.
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The tender is part of a broader effort to replace the Watchkeeper WK450 Mk1, a system in service since the early 2010s and based on the Israeli Hermes 450 (Picture source: Uk MoD)

The tender is part of a broader effort to replace the Watchkeeper WK450 Mk1, a system in service since the early 2010s and based on the Israeli Hermes 450. Procured from Thales UK for more than £1 billion, the Watchkeeper was operated by the Royal Artillery’s 47th Regiment for tactical reconnaissance missions. It could fly for 16 hours at 15,000 feet, with a maximum speed of 95 knots and a range of 140 km. The platform was fitted with a synthetic aperture radar and a moving target indicator. However, its actual performance fell short of expectations, mainly due to low technical availability and difficulties in operational integration. In November 2024, Defence Secretary John Healey announced the early retirement of the fleet, with only eleven out of fifty-four aircraft still operational at the time.

In light of this outcome, the UK intends to acquire a system better aligned with current battlefield requirements. The future drone is expected to deliver Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) capability, enabling long-range detection, tracking, and surveillance of ground targets over extended periods. It must also be operable in contested airspace, support low-latency coalition data sharing, and function in environments where GPS signals are denied or degraded. These requirements reflect heightened demands in terms of electronic survivability and communications resilience in degraded operational conditions, as seen in Ukraine since 2022.

The Ukrainian conflict has become a central reference in shaping this programme. According to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), platforms such as the Turkish TB2 have seen reduced effectiveness in the face of modern air defences and advanced electronic warfare. The conflict has highlighted the need for more resilient ISR architectures based on less vulnerable platforms, potentially complemented by low Earth orbit satellites or high-altitude balloons. RUSI also notes that a viable unit cost for an ISR drone is around $200,000, which suggests that the Ministry of Defence will likely seek a platform that balances performance with affordability, avoiding the high costs of previous programmes.

Project Corvus will follow a multi-step procurement process. An initial Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PSQ) phase will screen candidate suppliers before a full invitation to tender is released in early 2026. Once awarded, the contract will run for an initial five-year period starting in May 2026, with an optional extension until 2036. The tender also includes provisions for additional purchases and spiral capability upgrades, indicating a requirement for long-term adaptability.

The programme’s core objective is to provide the British Army with an ISR asset tailored to high-intensity conflict, capable of supporting ground formations operating in degraded environments where air superiority can no longer be assumed and data flows are under constant threat. The tactical drone developed under Project Corvus will therefore be expected to contribute to restoring tactical situational awareness through persistent and discreet surveillance integrated into a joint and coalition framework.

The United Kingdom is thus entering a new phase in the development of its uncrewed aerial capabilities, seeking to align procurement with operational realities while drawing lessons from contemporary conflicts. The selected industrial supplier will be required to deliver a platform that meets endurance, resilience, and adaptability requirements, in support of an army prioritising responsiveness and tactical awareness.