A new Anglo-Ukrainian contender, Skyeton Prevail Solutions, has thrown its hat into the ring for the British Army’s emerging contest for a persistent surveillance platform to replace the outgoing Watchkeeper Mk1 through Project Corvus.
Formed earlier this year, the UK-registered company brings together Ukrainian uncrewed air system (UAS) developer and manufacturer Skyeton – and its 23kg (50lb) Raybird platform – with London-based security, intelligence and operational support provider Prevail Partners.
Through the joint venture, they plan to compete for the Corvus requirement – currently in its early pre-tender stages – including the establishment of a new production line for the Raybird in southwest England.
“We are just on a hair-trigger, based on genuine acquisition plans of the system from the UK in some form, to open a production line in Plymouth,” says Justin Hedges, a founding partner and chair of Prevail.
Skyeton already has two manufacturing sites in Ukraine and Slovakia, the latter to provide “redundancy” in case of Russian disruption to its domestic plant, and to address the wider European market, says Pavlo Shevchuk, the firm’s chief executive.
Founded 19 years as a manufacturer of small aircraft, Skyeton then pivoted to instead build intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) drones for the civil market, shifting again following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to “the development of a platform with more capability than just ISR”.
Shevchuk says it has since delivered hundreds of systems – each comprising a ground control station and three air vehicles – and amassed more than 350,000 combat flight hours, frequently operating up to 50km (30 miles) behind the front line.
“Skyeton is offering and delivering to NATO allies a battle-proven and battle-hardened system with extended capability on a small-class UAV,” he adds.
To date, it has sold Raybird to the United Arab Emirates and “there are a couple of systems on the way” to an undisclosed NATO member, he adds. “Then we will deliver many more once it is in service.”
Payloads already integrated on the Raybird include gimballed electro-optical/infrared cameras, including a laser designator, ELINT sensors, a synthetic aperture radar, first-person video quadcopters and gliding munitions.
Launch is via a mechanical catapult with a parachute and airbag used for recovery.
While it took around one year to set up the Slovakian factory, Shevchuk is confident it would “be as fast, if not faster” to create a new UK plant.
“We are taking out first steps. We are about to finalise the location, and we will then need to have a local plan for technology transfer,” he says. “Step by step we will localise the supplier base.”
But for all its combat experience and production know-how, Skyeton Prevail Solutions will face an uphill battle for the Corvus competition against the major defence prime contractors.
Despite this, Hedges is undeterred, noting that the company has already cleared the revenue threshold for participation in the pre-qualification phase of the procurement.
“I think the Ministry of Defence is trying and struggling to make this competitive tender environment friendly for smaller companies.
“What they are asking for with Corvus is not the building of a new nuclear submarine or a combat aircraft,” he says.
Current MoD timelines indicate a winning bidder for Corvus will not be contracted until 1 May 2026 at the earliest.
Procurement notices published by the MoD have disclosed the ambition of a “stretch target” to achieve a “minimum deployable capability” during the current calendar year. But with the tender currently tracking towards a 31 October launch, it seems unlikely that will be met.
Through Corvus, the army is seeking a new UAS “to deliver the Land Tactical Deep Find (LTDF) 24h persistent surveillance requirement”.
Worth up to £156 million, the MoD expects to award the initial five-year contract – with an option to extend for another five years – to an OEM or prime contractor “who will be required to provide the equipment and support to meet the army’s requirements.”
“The solution must be of a high readiness level, be technologically agile, and capable of undergoing spiral development in future years to meet continuously evolving requirements,” the procurement notice states.
