Ukraine’s Raybird Drone, With 350,000 Combat Hours, Pitched to Replace UK Watchkeeper

Ukraine’s battle-tested Raybird drone, an advanced multi-role unmanned aerial system (UAS) boasting more than 350,000 combat hours, is now being positioned as a potential replacement for the UK’s Watchkeeper—the troubled surveillance drone expected to retire in 2027, according to a BFSF Forces News on November 4.

Built and refined through years of frontline combat against Russian forces, the Raybird has become one of Ukraine’s most reliable ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) platforms.

With an endurance of up to 28 hours and a precision laser designator, the drone can guide munitions with up to 80% hit accuracy, according to the manufacturer.

“We were the first to adopt laser designation on the battlefield in Ukraine, and we are still today the largest platform in terms of the number of laser-guided strikes,” one of the program’s engineers said, noting that the system’s development has been driven by direct combat experience.

The Raybird UAS can reach speeds of 87 miles per hour, operate at altitudes of up to 10,000 meters, and withstand temperatures ranging from –35°C to +55°C (–31°F to 131°F).

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It is launched via catapult and lands by parachute, allowing operations even from rough or improvised airfields. The aircraft’s modular architecture enables it to switch rapidly between reconnaissance and strike configurations—at a fraction of the cost of manned missions.

According to its designers, Raybird is “up to 500 times cheaper than using a manned aircraft for the same task,” while eliminating the risk to human pilots.

“We want to take operators away from the frontline,” said a Skyeton representative. “Our mission is to save the lives of our pilots, our operators, and our troops—by letting machines take the risk.”

Skyeton has partnered with Provel Partners, a UK defense firm led by a former Royal Marine, to establish production of the Raybird in Britain.

The collaboration aims to provide the UK Armed Forces and security services with “the most battle-proven unmanned system in its class” while creating opportunities for joint exports under NATO procurement frameworks.

“We’re anticipating and hoping that NATO and the UK will use some of the funds already allocated to Ukraine to invest in producing these systems domestically—and then send them back to the battlefield,” said Provel’s leadership.

If successful, the partnership could pave the way for broader NATO adoption and future defense cooperation between Kyiv and London.

The UK’s Watchkeeper WK450, built by Thales UK, first flew in 2010 and logged roughly 4,000 hours—a small fraction of Raybird’s wartime record.

Deployed primarily for surveillance in Afghanistan, Watchkeeper faced persistent criticism for reliability issues and high costs. Its planned retirement in March 2027 leaves an opening for a new, proven UAS to fill the gap.

With its long endurance, laser-guided strike capability, and frontline pedigree, the Raybird stands out as a serious contender—not only for Ukraine’s expanding drone fleet but potentially for the next generation of NATO reconnaissance and strike drones.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine will begin exporting domestically produced weapons under a newly established controlled export program.

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