Watchkeeper Withdrawal Now Scheduled for March 2027
The British Army's Watchkeeper UAV, originally intended to leave service in March 2025, has had its service life extended to March 2027.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in November 2024 that the Watchkeeper drone would be retired from service ahead of schedule.
Initially, the withdrawal was expected to take place by March 2025, but this deadline was missed due to continued operation from various locations.
A contract issued in April 2025 indicated a new withdrawal date of March 2026, but this has been further extended.
According to Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard, the currently scheduled out of service date for Watchkeeper is now March 2027.
No specific reason was given for the extension.
Author's summary: Watchkeeper UAV service life extended to March 2027.