Article Posted on : - May 07, 2010

The Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle. An Elbit Systems Photo

JERUSALEM (BNS): The Israeli Defence Ministry has awarded Elbit Systems Company a $50 million contract to provide the new Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft systems to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).

Under the contract, spanning over a period of three years, Israel’s Elbit Systems will supply the new aerial vehicles to the IDF, a Defence Ministry statement said.

The company will also supply additional Hermes 450, as well as enhance the intelligence capabilities of its existing UAVs already in the military service, it said.

Elbit had tested the new Hermes 900 system in December, 2009.

An improvised version of Hermes 450 tactical UAV, Hermes 900 is a medium sized multi-payload unmanned aerial vehicle designed for medium altitude long endurance tactical missions.

The UAV features larger multi-payload configurations, higher flight altitude (over 30,000 feet) and extended flight time. It is an all-weather aircraft with automatic take-off and landing capability.

The new UAV is well-equipped with advanced features including built-in autonomous emergency procedures, air traffic control radio, radio relay, and IFF transponder. It also uses a built-in satellite communication channel for missions beyond line of sight.