The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 ''Kochav'' ("Star") is an Israeli medium-size, multi-payload,
medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle
A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle flies at an altitude window of 10,000 to 30,000 feet (3,000–9,000 m) for extended durations of time, typically 24 to 48 hours.https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/products/falco-xplorer This ...
(UAV) designed for tactical missions. It is a successor to the
Hermes 450 series of drones, one of the most widely used military drones in the world.
It has an endurance of over 30 hours and can fly at a maximum altitude of , with a primary mission of
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
,
surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
and communications relay. The Hermes 900 has a wingspan of and weighs , with a payload capability of . Payload options include
electro-optical
Electro–optics is a branch of electrical engineering, electronic engineering, materials science, and material physics involving components, electronic devices such as lasers, laser diodes, LEDs, waveguides, etc. which operate by the propaga ...
/
infrared sensors
Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
,
synthetic-aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) is a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images or three-dimensional reconstructions of objects, such as landscapes. SAR uses the motion of the radar antenna over a target region to provide fine ...
/ground-
moving target indication
Moving target indication (MTI) is a mode of operation of a radar to discriminate a target against the clutter. It describes a variety of techniques used for finding moving objects, like an aircraft, and filter out unmoving ones, like hills or trees ...
, communications and electronic intelligence,
electronic warfare
Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...
, and
hyperspectral
Hyperspectral imaging collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum. The goal of hyperspectral imaging is to obtain the spectrum for each pixel in the image of a scene, with the purpose of finding objects, identifyi ...
sensors.
Operational history
Israel
The Hermes 900 was first used by Israel during
Operation Protective Edge
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge ( he, מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, translit=Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, ),
was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territories, Pale ...
in July 2014. It had been undergoing test flights and wasn't planned for operational deployment until late 2015, but it was introduced during the operation for unique missions that it could perform better than the
Hermes 450. A few days after receiving orders to deploy the aircraft, one Kochav was readied for "temporary activity." The Hermes 900's first operational mission took place on July 15, 2014, which was a link in a chain of operations that eventually led to a fighter jet attack that destroyed terrorist infrastructure. Maintenance on the aircraft during the operation was done by Elbit personnel because IAF ground teams had not yet been qualified to perform maintenance on it, and mission stations had Elbit representatives that guided the operators during combat flights. Following the end of the operation, the Hermes 900 returned to integration and flight testing to pass milestones that still needed to be met. The Hermes 900 was officially introduced into the IAF's operational lineup on 11 November 2015.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani media first mentioned the procurement of the Hermes 900 in August 2017, reporting up to 15 units having been purchased. In May 2018, the Azerbaijani government confirmed the purchase, releasing photos of Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003.
The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
inspecting one of the drones.
During the
2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani skirmishes, Armenia's Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan reported that Armenian forces had shot down an Azerbaijani Hermes 900 drone, sharing the video of the alleged shoot down on social media. The Azerbaijani side denied losing any of its drones.
Operators
*
: Two Hermes 900s were delivered in 2017. In May 2018, Azerbaijani president visited a military base to inspect military equipment, released photos from the visit included one Hermes 900.
*
: Elbit Systems has been awarded a contract to supply a Hermes 900 unmanned air system to the Brazilian air force. In December 2021, the Brazilian Air Force acquires two more remotely piloted Hermes 900 aircraft.
*
: The Government of Canada announced its award of a contract to Elbit Systems for the procurement of a single Hermes 900 in late 2022 for use by Transport Canada in oil spill detection, environmental surveys, and monitoring Canada's Arctic.
*
: In July 2011, Elbit reported the first export sale of its Hermes 900 UAV to the
Chilean Air Force
"With full speed to the stars"
, colours = Indigo White
, colours_label =
, march = Alte Kameraden
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 21 March ...
. The Chilean choice followed evaluation of two classes of UAVs. At the high end were the Elbit Hermes 900 and
IAI Heron
The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat
(UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 h ...
. At the lower (tactical) level were Elbit Hermes 450, and Aerostar from
Aeronautics Defense Systems
Aeronautics Ltd. ( he, אירונאוטיקס בע"מ) (formerly NETS Integrated Avionics Systems) is an Israeli company specializing in the manufacturing of Unmanned Aerial Systems for military uses. Since its establishment in 1997, the company ...
. Three Hermes 900 UAVs are operated by the Chilean Air Force. On October 2013, the
Chilean Navy
The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
History
Origins and the Wars ...
began evaluating the Hermes 900 for procurement for maritime patrol tasks.
![Hermes 900 Takeoff](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Hermes_900_Takeoff.jpg)
*
: In August 2012, Elbit won a multi-million-dollar contract to supply a mixed fleet of Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 unmanned air systems to Colombia. On July 2013, the
Colombian Air Force
, "We are the Force"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Colombian Air Force Hymn
, mascot = Capitan Paz
, anniversaries = 8 November
, ...
confirmed they have one Hermes 900 on order, to be accepted in the coming months.
*
: In September 2018, the Portuguese company Centro de Engenharia e Desenvolvimento was contracted to the
European Maritime Safety Agency
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is a European Union agency charged with reducing the risk of maritime accidents, marine pollution from ships and the loss of human lives at sea by helping to enforce the pertinent EU legislation. It is ...
to provide long-range, long-endurance maritime surveillance services using the Hermes 900.
*
: Iceland uses Hermes 900 UAV to monitor its
exclusive economic zone.
*
:The Israeli air force has equipped its Elbit Systems Hermes 900 unmanned air vehicles with undisclosed specialist payloads, and formally named the type "Kochav" (Star). The UAV made its first operational flight during "Protective Edge" operation in Gaza on July 2014.
*
: In January 2012, Elbit announced it has been awarded a $50 million contract to supply two Hermes 900 systems to an undisclosed customer "in the Americas", later revealed to be the
Mexican Federal Police
The Federal Police ( es, Policía Federal, PF), formerly known as the (Federal Preventive Police) and sometimes referred to in the U.S. as "Federales", was a Mexican national police force formed in 1999 and folded into the National Guard in 2019. ...
.
*
: In August 2020,
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) ( tgl, Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas, , Army of the Air of the Philippines) ( es, Ejército Aérea del Filipinas, , Ejército de la Aérea de la Filipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forc ...
received full delivery of three Hermes 900 and one Hermes 450 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) as part of a contract worth approximately $175 million. Each system consists of three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a ground control system and support equipment.
Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. is an Israel-based international defense electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world. The company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land ...
also included a spare used Hermes 450 UAV as part of the deal, for a total of 9 Hermes 900 UAVs and 4 Hermes 450 UAVs.
*
: In June 2014, Switzerland's procurement agency selected the Hermes 900 to meet the nation's requirement. The design had been in competition with
IAI Heron
The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat
(UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 h ...
to replace the
RUAG Ranger
RUAG Holding (originally Rüstungs Unternehmen Aktiengesellschaft; Joint Stock Defence Company) is a Swiss company specialising in aerospace engineering and the defence industry. Its headquarters are located in Bern, while it also has numerous pr ...
UAV (ADS 95) of the
Swiss Air Force
The Swiss Air Force (german: Schweizer Luftwaffe; french: Forces aériennes suisses; it, Forze aeree svizzere; rm, Aviatica militara svizra) is the air component of the Swiss Armed Forces, established on 31 July 1914 as a part of the army and ...
. Planned was to replace the 15 Ruag Rangers with Six Hermes 900 (ADS 15) by 2019. To fulfill the Swiss requirements, extensive changes at the drone where necessary. Among others it was necessary to change wing and wingspan to carry a heavier engine with more power. In August 2020, a drone crashed during a test flight in Israel, the cause was a structural design flaw which has been fixed. The new drones should now begin their operation between 2022 and 2023, the "Sense-and-Avoid" - System not before 2024. The Swiss model of the drone is called ''Hermes 900 StarLiner'', also ''Hermes 900 HFE'' (Heavy Fuel Engine) in the Swiss program.
elbitsystems.com
StarLiner
Specifications
References
External links
Hermes 900 Brochure
Hermes 900
Elbit Systems
Defense Update
Israeli-weapons.com
{{Elbit aircraft
Elbit unmanned aerial vehicles
2010s Israeli military reconnaissance aircraft
V-tail aircraft