LONDON, July 25 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
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NewTekeverAR5surveillance droneschosentokeepBritish troopssafethrough round-the-clock intelligence gathering.
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Up to£400 million dealwillsupport jobs at Tekever's UK sites, bolsteringBritain'sdefence manufacturing base.
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Investmentsupports re-industrialisation ofBritain, helping to strengthen national security andcreategrowth across the UK.
British soldiers willbebetter protected and more lethal on the battlefieldas anewinvestmentofup to£400 million will see theArmyequipped with the latest spy drone technology.
The new drones will be able to carry up to 50kg in surveillance equipment, such as cameras andsensors, andcan fly for longer thanprevioussystems the Army has used, giving commanders real-time intelligence to protect troops and inform battlefield decisions.
Theinitialorder will be for six AR5 drones, with up to 24 delivered by 2029.
The AR5has been selected to replace the ageing Watchkeeper drones, underadealworth up to £400 million over the next 10 years.Thedronewill be built inTekever'ssoon to be open Swindon manufacturing facility.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting MP said:
Proven in Ukraine and designed to protect British soldiers globally,we'vechosen the UK-basedTekeverAR5 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.
Watchkeeper,in service since2014, is reaching the end of its operational life. ThenewAR5 offers significantly improved endurance, sensorcapabilityand reliability, ensuringthatthe Armymaintainsa battle-winning edge in surveillance and reconnaissancesystems.The drone has been utilised by Ukraine's Armed Forces on the battlefield, as they continue their fight against Russia's unprovoked invasion.
Thefullcontractwillsustain and createhundreds of jobs at Tekever's UK sites, reinforcing defence's important role in the UK's growing defence and technology sector. It reflects this government's commitment,drivingdefence as an engine for growth andsupporting the reindustrialisation of industry in Britain.
TekeverUK's Managing Director Karl Brew said:
CORVUSrepresentsa major step change in deliveringcutting edgeautonomy to the British Army. Thisisn'tabout aplatform,it'sabout building and sustaining sovereign capability that stays one step ahead of our adversaries.
Through CORVUS, TEKEVER aims to create a new type of partnership between government and industry where we will ensure a constant cycle of capability evolution that delivers decisive advantage to our end users.
Subject to contract signature and final approvals, the new capability will begin entering servicelater this year, with support sustained for at least five years and options to extend.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
