KORTHOS / ECOSYSTEM / PRODUCT

AR5

About

About AR5

AR5 is a medium-altitude long-endurance aircraft with a 7.3-metre wingspan, 50-kilogram payload capacity and endurance reaching approximately 20 hours. It launches and lands from unprepared strips and supports satellite communications for missions extending beyond terrestrial line-of-sight networks.

Payloads include maritime radar, electro-optical and infrared systems, signals equipment and communications relay. TEKEVER’s mission software fuses sensor data from multiple payloads and distributes detections to command users. Operational roles include maritime awareness, border security, environmental monitoring, search and long-duration intelligence collection.

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

  • Capability areas: Remote operation
  • Workflows: Tactical ISR mission, Drone ISR
  • Operating environments: Defence operational environment
  • Target markets: Defence customers needing longer-endurance fixed-wing UAS for persistent surveillance.
  • Deployment model: Deployed defence product with international procurement and field use.
  • Long-endurance flight

    Claimed - TEKEVER presents AR5 for search and rescue, border surveillance, maritime patrol, land surveillance and extended wide-area monitoring.

    Source
  • Search and rescue

    Claimed - TEKEVER presents AR5 for search and rescue, border surveillance, maritime patrol, land surveillance and extended wide-area monitoring.

    Source
  • Perimeter patrol

    Claimed - TEKEVER presents AR5 for search and rescue, border surveillance, maritime patrol, land surveillance and extended wide-area monitoring.

    Source
  • ISR and tactical support

    Claimed - TEKEVER presents AR5 for search and rescue, border surveillance, maritime patrol, land surveillance and extended wide-area monitoring.

    Source
  • Target acquisition

    Claimed - TEKEVER presents AR5 for search and rescue, border surveillance, maritime patrol, land surveillance and extended wide-area monitoring.

    Source

Operations

  • Programme Investment Gbp

    £400 million UK OVERMATCH programme - 2025-05-20 - UAS production expansion - TEKEVER announced a five-year £400 million UK OVERMATCH programme including expanded UK production of AR3 and AR5 unmanned aircraft systems.

    Source

Timeline

  • TEKEVER signs up-to-£400M British Army AR5 contract

    2026-09-16 - Contract Award - The initial order covers six AR5 aircraft, with the programme potentially rising to 24 by 2029. AR5 manufacturing will be centred at TEKEVER’s new Swindon factory, supported by UK engineering and operational sites. The aircraft is intended to replace the Army’s Watchkeeper surveillance system, with AR5 entry into service expected later in 2026.

    Source
  • TEKEVER signs Portuguese Air Force contract for two AR5 aircraft

    2026-08-11 - Contract Award - The procurement includes a ground-control station, the ATLAS mission system and operator training so the Air Force can run the aircraft directly. The authorised programme value is up to €7,796,747.97 before VAT and is financed through Portugal’s Military Programming Law. Aircraft acceptance and initial operating capability are expected in September, followed by a second training phase in October.

    Source
  • TEKEVER launches £400M UK OVERMATCH programme after crossing £1B valuation

    2025-05-20 - Production Milestone - TEKEVER said existing investors backed a new funding round valuing the company above £1B. The company announced a five-year £400M UK OVERMATCH programme expected to create more than 1,000 jobs. The programme includes expanded UK production of AR3 and AR5 unmanned aircraft systems.

    Source

Context

Market context

TEKEVER AR5 is a medium-endurance fixed-wing UAS for wide-area maritime, border and land surveillance missions with longer endurance than the AR3.

  • Target environment: Defence operational environments including wide-area maritime, border and land surveillance areas.
  • Workflow context: Long-endurance surveillance, wide-area maritime monitoring, border patrol and reconnaissance missions.
  • Customer context: Defence customers needing longer-endurance fixed-wing UAS for persistent surveillance.
  • Deployment model: Deployed defence product with international procurement and field use.
  • Commercial maturity: Active long-endurance UAS platform with multi-country defence adoption.
  • Adoption constraints: Defence procurement cycles and integration with existing surveillance command structures.
  • Market position: Extends TEKEVER beyond smaller tactical drones into longer-endurance operations with heavier payload potential.
  • Adjacent products: AR3 EVO, long-endurance surveillance UAS

Tags

  • Peer Group: Fixed-wing tactical ISR UAV
  • Workflow: Tactical ISR mission, Drone ISR
  • Capability: Remote operation
  • Deployment Environment: Defence operational environment
  • Stack Layer: Finished robot platform
  • Commercial Stage: Deployed platform
  • Market Signal: Defence procurement signal

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