The Ministry of Defence has ruled out gifting the British Army Watchkeeper drone to Ukraine, while confirming continued spending on the retiring system and confirming a delivery date for its replacement under Project Corvus.
In a written response to Conservative MP Mark Francois, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the government had prioritised newer, more cost-effective unmanned systems rather than transferring Watchkeeper to Ukraine. He said the UK and its partners would continue to equip Kyiv “as best we can to defend its sovereign territory and ensure it is in a position of strength for any peace negotiations,” but added that since Watchkeeper entered service in 2010, “drone technology has evolved at remarkable pace, driven by the extensive use of unmanned systems in the war in Ukraine.”
Pollard said the department had therefore focused on “more cost-effective drones that deliver comparable capability and can operate in the most demanding environments,” rather than older platforms such as Watchkeeper Mk1.
Further answers provided new clarity on the financial tail of the programme following its cancellation. Pollard confirmed that the total budget allocated to Watchkeeper between November 2024, when retirement was announced, and March 2027 amounts to £115.886 million. He said this funding supports the managed withdrawal of the system while the Army transitions to a replacement capability.
That replacement, Project Corvus, is expected to be delivered in November 2026, ahead of Watchkeeper’s planned out-of-service date of March 2027. Pollard said that “with the retirement of Watchkeeper Mk1, the Army will transition rapidly to a new, advanced system that draws on the latest operational lessons and technological innovations.”
Valued at around £130 million, the programme is intended to deliver a next-generation uncrewed aerial system capable of providing 24-hour persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance in contested environments. The system is designed to support divisional and corps-level operations and to be operated by 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, the unit currently responsible for Watchkeeper. Requirements for Corvus include real-time land and maritime ISTAR, low-latency data sharing across joint and coalition networks, and the ability to operate in GNSS-denied conditions.
I had forgotten this was still going on tbh.
Surely “more cost-effective drones that deliver comparable capability and can operate in the most demanding environments” makes the Windracers Ultra the obvious candidate? British, just as capable and a whole lot cheaper.
Yeah, the Windracers Ultra has two bays underneath that could be used for swappable modules
Three. But the centre bay will most likely be needed for electronics.
I’d be interested to know what will happen with the Watchkeepers. I think I heard they won’t go to Ukraine. If this is because of sensitive tech – could this be stripped and send the airframe and engines and let Ukraine do the rest. Will they be mothballed could they be re-rolled, or sold?
While the explanation has logic, being of Israeli origin I wonder if we were even free to send them to Ukraine? Israel has done everything it can not to upset the Russians over the years as revelations this weekend from the Epstein Files only further signify.
Replacement by this year. A survivable drone in contested airspace is more expensive.