UTACS

UAV Tactical Systems Ltd (UTACS, also written U-TacS) is a British manufacturer of tactical unmanned aircraft systems based in Braunstone Town, Leicester. The company was incorporated in 2004 and set up as a joint venture to produce the Watchkeeper system in the United Kingdom, with Elbit Systems holding a 51 per cent stake. On 22 January 2026 Elbit Systems UK announced that it had completed the acquisition of the remaining shares, making UTACS a wholly owned part of Elbit Systems.

Its main product is the Watchkeeper WK450 tactical UAS for the British Army, derived from the Elbit Hermes 450 and powered by a rotary engine from its sister company UAV Engines. Watchkeeper reached full operational capability in late 2018; in November 2024 the UK Ministry of Defence announced that it would retire the system. According to Elbit, UTACS has delivered dozens of tactical UAS over almost two decades to customers including the British Army, the United Nations and NATO member states. The export variant Watchkeeper X has been ordered by the Romanian Ministry of National Defence.

Elbit plans to develop UTACS into a British and regional hub for the design, development and support of advanced uncrewed aircraft systems, with a focus on European and NATO customers, while retaining its British workforce and existing programmes. At Farnborough 2026 Elbit Systems UK said UTACS would manufacture a range of systems, including autonomous persistent effectors.