UK spells out Corvus UAS requirement to replace Watchkeeper

Project Corvus is intended to provide the British Army with a new Land Tactical Deep Find capability to replace what was previously provided by the Watchkeeper UAS. (UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed details of its requirement for a new Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to succeed the British Army's legacy Watchkeeper system across the Divisional and Corps Deep battlespace.

In a prior information notice (PIN) published on 15 April, the MoD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation outlined the scope of the persistent surveillance capability – known as Project Corvus – and revealed a ‘stretch target' of fielding a minimum deployable capability by the end of 2025. Industry engagement is intended to inform the acquisition strategy and identify potential tenderers ahead of starting a competitive procurement.

The MoD in November 2024 announced that the Thales UK Watchkeeper intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) UAS would be retired by the end of March 2025. Operated by 47 Regiment Royal Artillery, the Watchkeeper system suffered significant attrition in service and was seen as increasingly obsolete.

Project Corvus – valued at up to GBP130 million (USD172 million) over a five-year period – envisages the acquisition of a “modern, deployable, easily supportable, and cost-effective [LTDF] capability” from the end of December to replace the Watchkeeper. The initial requirement covers two task lines, each able to provide 24 hours of persistent surveillance, plus five years of support from minimum deployable capability.