UK Begins Hunt For Watchkeeper Replacement

LONDON–The UK defense ministry has launched a search to find a replacement for the British army’s Thales Watchkeeper uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), which has been withdrawn from use.

Project Corvus aims to find a new UAS that can perform the army’s Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) persistent surveillance requirement, with the army seeking “a modern, deployable, easily supportable and cost-effective capability,” the market engagement notice published April 16 says.

Procurement officials are looking to industry to help “inform the acquisition strategy” for the system. They note that the chosen aircraft will need to be at a “high readiness level, be technologically agile, and capable of undergoing spiral development in future years to meet continuously evolving requirements.” Basic requirements for the system are for it to be able to perform persistent wide area intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as tracking and designation of land and maritime targets in real time using sensor payloads.

The platform needs to be able to operate in both contested airspace and an electromagnetic environment, including one in which access to global navigation satellite systems may be denied.

The army should be able to operate the capability “expeditiously and remain mobile, tactically, operationally, and strategically,” the requirements say, and using the existing workforce requirements within the British army’s UAS operational structure.

Initial operation will be two task lines, each able to provide 24 hr. of surveillance. The requirement will also need to be supported for five years from Minimum Deployable Capability, the documents say.

Current plans call for potential bidders to perform a live demonstration of their platforms at a yet-to-be determined time and location, with contracting expected before year’s end.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced the Watchkeeper’s withdrawal from the British army’s inventory last November along with several warships and all of the Royal Air Force’s Airbus Pumas, as well as some Boeing Chinook helicopters.

Watchkeeper, a modified variant of the Elbit Hermes 450 UAV, had a troubled introduction, arriving too late for service in Afghanistan. It was then beset by a series of training accidents. But recent years have seen the platform successfully deployed, including into Estonia. It provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support in that country to NATO troops and the UK Border Force. Watchkeeper also monitored the English Channel for migrant boats.

Military officials decided to sunset the system after lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war determined that platforms like Watchkeeper would be too vulnerable.