Elbit Systems Ltd. and TASE: ESLT, announced over the weekend that it was awarded a contract valued at many tens of millions of dollars, to supply a Latin American customer with a mixed fleet of Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The contract will be performed over the next two years.
The contract includes Universal Ground Control Stations (UGCS) and a variety of payloads and capabilities including: the Electro-Optics Elop Division’s advanced payloads systems, the Elisra Division’s intelligence COMINT systems, SAR/MPR multi mode radar and additional sensors.
Hermes 450 is a unique Elbit Systems development and has been the back bone of the IDF’s operational UAS activity. The Hermes 450 UAS have been used extensively in defense forces worldwide, including in active war zones, and have accumulated over 300,000 operational flight hours. The Hermes 900 UAS builds on the vast operational experience accumulated by the Hermes 450. It offers a range of enhanced capabilities, from higher flight altitude (30,000 ft) to longer endurance and heavier weight payloads. The system’s unique structure enables it to carry a variety of payloads in various shapes and sizes for quick “conversion” between payload configurations.
Elad Aharonson, Elbit Systems UAS Division General Manager commented: “We are proud of the customer’s decision to acquire a combined array of Hermes 450 and Hermes 900, joining several other Hermes 900 customers, including the Israeli Defense Forces.”. Aharonson added: “Hermes 900 is well positioned as a world-leading UAS, suitable for a wide variety of missions, from intelligence gathering, to perimeter and security missions. The unique capability of joint operation with the Hermes 450 offers seamless integration for existing users, further enhancing operational flexibility and cost effectiveness and eliminating the need for additional infrastructure or special training programs”.
Source: Press Release