SINGAPORE AIRSHOW: Israel’s Elbit Rolls Out Newest Version of Hermes Drone
Elbit Systems photo
SINGAPORE — Israeli contractor Elbit Systems debuted the latest variant of its Hermes line of unmanned aerial systems at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 21, and the new version already has a buyer.
Elbit’s Hermes line has become one of the most widely used military UAS in the world, “dozens of countries” having procured the Hermes 450 and Hermes 900 systems, according to the Database of Israeli Military and Security Export.
The newest member of the family, the Hermes 650 Spark, features several unique characteristics compared to its two older siblings, most notably its “overpowered” frontal engine, which was selected due to the “operational requirement” for the drone, said Ziv Avni, vice president and head of marketing and business development for Elbit Systems Aerospace.
The system has a “very wide range of velocities,” able to operate anywhere between 55 and 120 knots, Avni said. This gives the Hermes 650 Spark “a lot of versatility in terms of how you operate the system. It means you can get to the mission area fast, and then loiter at a very efficient speed.” The system has an extended endurance of up to 24 hours, according to Elbit.
The Hermes 650 Spark is also able to operate on short runways, Avni said. The system “needs only 200 meters of runway to take off, and only 800 meters to land,” he said.
Another key feature of the drone is its extensive payload capacity, possessing eight modular storage stations — two payload bays and six hard points — adding up to a useful load of 260 kilograms.
The drone has a few payloads already integrated, including an electro-optical sensor system, but it can also carry “multiple payloads simultaneously,” said Vered Haimovich, Elbit’s vice president of UAV systems.
“The Hermes 650 enables full mission execution in contested airspace,” Haimovich said. “It combines the latest modern technological innovations with an intuitive, user-friendly interface, providing … combined military forces — air, land and sea — with a powerful tool for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting and tactical support.”
While the system can “host a lot of sensors,” the Hermes 650 on display at the airshow did not feature any weapon systems, and Avni declined to say whether the drone could or would carry weapons.
One other potential selling point is the drone’s low lifecycle costs, he said. The system has “unique sensors” built into it “for predictive maintenance purposes … it was actually one of the design requirements to make sure that it’s not only cost-effective but it’s also cost-effective to operate.”
Elbit has been developing the system internally for several years, and is already on contract with one customer, Avni said. While Avni declined to name the customer, Haimovich said the Hermes 650 is compliant with NATO STANAG 4671, the alliance’s airworthiness requirement to certify a UAV can operate in the airspace of other NATO members. Elbit will be ready to enter full serial production of the drone in about a year, Avni added.
Topics: Global Defense Market, International, Robotics and Autonomous Systems
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