United Kingdom Thales Group
Watchkeeper WK450
British Army tactical ISTAR UAV co-developed with Elbit Systems from the Hermes 450, carrying a dual EO/IR and SAR/GMTI radar payload for all-weather surveillance.
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-04
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
UK export-licensed
Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.
Channel: Government-to-government or direct
Fielded & proven
Operator data not public
Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 150 km Stronger than 31% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 6.5 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 10.9 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 485 kg
Specifications compiled from public Thales Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-04.
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What is the range of the Thales Group Watchkeeper WK450? +
The Thales Group Watchkeeper WK450 has a maximum range of 150 km.
How much does the Thales Group Watchkeeper WK450 weigh? +
The Thales Group Watchkeeper WK450 has a combat weight of 485 kg.
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