TEKEVER unveils British AR6 heavy-lift drone with 200 kg payload and 500 km range
Yesterday, the drone maker TEKEVER unveiled its new AR6 family of autonomous heavy-lift electric quadcopter drones at the Farnborough International Airshow in the latest expansion of its drone lineup.
The new TEKEVER AR6 heavy-lift drone
In a statement, TEKEVER wrote that it is “widely recognised as the European leader for ISR platforms, aims to address a core market gap in the heavy lift drone segment – delivering a platform that can ‘lift more and fly further.'”
TEKEVER hailed its new AR6 drone family as a “step-change.” It says that the market is dominated by electric VTOL platforms that typically lift up to 100kg only for short distances like one to five kilometres.
The TEKEVER AR6 drone will be able to deliver over 200 kg over a distance of 500 kilometres. It says this has been achieved by leveraging specialist advances in hydraulic and propulsion technology.
The company says its new drone is built for harsh environments, being able to operate in both very hot and cold conditions while requiring minimal maintenance.
TEKEVER told AGN that the new drone reinforces the company’s already established UK sovereign-manufacturing focus. The AR6 suite is being built in the UK through SME partners and is expected to be produced at its Swindon hub by the end of 2026.
A dual-purpose drone with combat wingman potential
TEKEVER says the AR6 is built for a dual-use role to serve both civil and military operators. Civil applications include offshore operations, medical support, search and rescue, logistics, and disaster relief. It also has a range of security applications.
Military use cases potentially include casualty evacuation, forward logistics, and combat wingman concepts.
The latter application is particularly eye-catching. The UK is currently looking to develop a combat wingman for its fleet of Apache attack helicopters under Project Nyx, and TEKEVER says its drone could be a fit.
In January 2026, AGN reported that the UK has shortlisted TEKEVER for its Project Nyx.
The military variant is designed to be able to operate without GNSS (GPS) and includes advanced ‘Mission Autonomy’ features for “multi-platform swarming, crewed teaming, and survivability.”
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Leveraging experience and lessons learned from Ukraine
TEKEVER already has extensive experience producing combat drones that have been tested in combat. AGN has previously reported it is one of the major contractors the UK is tasking to supply drones to Ukraine.
For the United Kingdom, Ukraine is not just a recipient of military aid; it is an opportunity for the UK to develop and expand its domestic military drone industry.
The current Defence Investment Plan leverages the UK’s drone industry developed over the last few years. It seeks to create a base able to supply drones in large quantities if needed.
TEKEVER says the drone incorporates lessons learned from Ukraine as well as rapid design iteration. TEKEVER stated in an email to AGN, “TEKEVER is best known as Europe’s ISR drone leader across the AR3/AR5, which are deployed at scale in Ukraine, but the AR6 marks its move into heavy-lift autonomy.”
Karl Brew, Head of TEKEVER UK, said, “AR6 expands the envelope, enabling us to leverage all of the experience we have built up in Ukraine and around the world into a whole new set of use cases.”
