Tel Aviv: The international demand for the Elbit Systems’ Hermes-900 UAV is soaring. The Israeli company announced that it has received an order for its 120th Hermes-900 Medium-Range Long-Altitude (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The family of the Hermes-900 multi-role MALE UAV is Elbit Systems’ largest unmanned aerial vehicle and is capable of performing a wide range of missions including persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR). The advanced UAV can also can perform ground support and maritime patrol missions, and provides the capabilities for integrated multi-platform, multi-sensor operations.
The UAV has an endurance of up to 30 hours in a single sortie and features over-the-horizon, persistent multi-mission capabilities with a class leading payload carrying capacity of 450 kgs and maximum ceiling of 30,000 feet. The Hermes 900 incorporates flexible cutting edge multi- payload configurations employing standard and long-range SPECTRO EO/IR/SWIR/LTD, SAR/GMTI & MPR, COMINT Cellular, CoMMJAM, ELINT, large area scanning systems, SkyEye wide area persistent surveillance and other payloads.
The Starliner UAV, a derivative of the Hermes-900, is equipped with advanced civil aviation technology allowing it to meet both military and civilian certification standards. These technologies include a terrain avoidance warning system; automatic take-off and landing in limited visibility conditions; redundant avionics, sensors and satellite data links; as well as adverse weather capabilities, direct lightning strike sustainment, flight in denied / Jammed GPS environment, automatic air traffic sense and avoiding systems and avoiding auto-manoeuvres and last resort parachute to avoid injuries to human lives.
The Starliner UAV is the only NATO Class III UAV with these certifications in the world.
Since the first order of the unmanned aerial system (UAS) in 2011, the Hermes 900 has been selected by more than 20 customers around the world, making it the only NATO class III MALE operational on five continents. Its users are the Air Forces, Navy, Army agencies such as border protection, police and more. The UAS is flown by Israel, Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Switzerland, Philippines, Thailand and others.
According to the Israeli company, the significant number of Hermes 900 ordered and delivered to customers attests to its competitive edge that combines technological sophistication, reliability, open architecture, and advanced Visual, Signal and RADAR intelligence capabilities.
Yoram Shmuely, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace commented, “The 120th Hermes-900 UAV order is a significant milestone that is testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole Elbit Systems’ team. We are proud to have reached this remarkable milestone. Our ongoing commitment to providing top-quality products and outstanding customer service has led us to this achievement, and we appreciate all our loyal and supportive customers and end-users.”
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
