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Prevail Partners
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Prevail Partners

Company associated with the Skyeton Raybird drone system that is bidding for the UK's Project Corvus Watchkeeper replacement.

Last refreshed: 25 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

How does a British intelligence firm become a drone manufacturer for the British Army?

Background

Prevail Partners is a London-based security, intelligence, and operational support company that formed the joint venture Skyeton Prevail Solutions with Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton in July 2025 to bid for the British Army's Project Corvus contract. As the UK-side vehicle in the partnership, Prevail provides the in-country industrial, regulatory, and security-clearance infrastructure that enables Skyeton's Ukrainian-origin Raybird system to compete for a sensitive British defence contract. The joint venture demonstrated the Raybird at the British Army's Iron Titan exercise in late 2025 and has proposed a Plymouth production facility to meet Project Corvus's sovereign-manufacture expectations.

Prevail Partners was co-founded by Damian Huntingford OBE (CEO) and Justin Hedges, drawing on backgrounds in British Special Forces and government intelligence. The firm provides intelligence fusion, OSINT, geospatial analysis, and operational support to defence, government, extractive-industry, and financial clients. Its positioning as an operationally oriented intelligence company, rather than a pure defence contractor, makes it an unusual but strategically coherent Corvus partner: Prevail understands ISR mission requirements from the customer side as much as the supply side.

Project Corvus is a £156 million MoD programme seeking a persistent 24-hour Land Tactical Deep Find surveillance capability to replace the failed Watchkeeper Mk1. The initial contract runs five years with an option for a further five. Skyeton Prevail Solutions is among the bidders, competing against more established Western UAS suppliers. If successful, the Plymouth production line would represent a significant expansion of Prevail's role from intelligence services into defence manufacturing.

Common Questions
What is Prevail Partners and why is it involved in Project Corvus?
Prevail Partners is a London-based security and intelligence company founded by veterans of British Special Forces and government service. It formed the joint venture Skyeton Prevail Solutions with Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton in July 2025 to bid for Project Corvus, providing the UK industrial base and clearance infrastructure Skyeton needs to compete for a British Army contract.Source: Calibre Defence / Prevail Partners website
Who runs Prevail Partners?
Prevail Partners is led by CEO Damian Huntingford OBE, who co-founded the company alongside Justin Hedges. Both have backgrounds in British Special Forces and government intelligence service.Source: Prevail Partners website / LinkedIn
What does Skyeton Prevail Solutions plan to build in Plymouth?
Skyeton Prevail Solutions has proposed an assembly, test, and production facility in Plymouth for the Raybird UAS, to satisfy Project Corvus's UK sovereign-manufacture requirements. The facility would begin with assembly and testing before expanding to full supply-chain localisation.Source: FlightGlobal / Defence Procurement International
Source Material