Breaking news
Switzerland officially orders six Hermes 900 HFE UAVs from Elbit Systems.
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World Defense & Security News - Switzerland
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Switzerland officially orders six Hermes 900 HFE UAVs from Elbit Systems
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Elbit Systems announced today that it was awarded an approximately $200 million contract from the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport ("DDPS"), for the supply of 6 Hermes 900 HFE (Heavy Fuel Engine) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and an advanced ground segment for command, control and communications.
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 Elbit Systems Hermes 900 MALE UAV |
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The contract, to be performed over a four-year period, follows the DDPS June 2014 announcement about Elbit Systems selection as the preferred supplier for the UAS 15 new reconnaissance drone program. The Hermes 900 had been in competition with IAI Heron to replace the RUAG Ranger UAV currently in service with the Swiss armed forces.
The Hermes 900 HFE system, to be supplied to the Swiss Air Force, is an advanced adverse-weather unarmed reconnaissance UAS, offering improved operational capabilities. It has an endurance of over 30 hours and can fly at a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet (9,100 m), with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance and communications relay. Its payload options include electro-optical/infrared sensors, synthetic aperture radar/ground-moving target indication, communications and electronic intelligence, electronic warfare, and hyperspectral sensors. Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems commented: "Switzerland is a very important market for Elbit Systems, and we are very proud of the DDPS' decision to choose us as the supplier of the Hermes 900 HFE, a high-end and market leading platform. The DDPS selection attests to our innovative and technological leadership in the area of UAS, supported by the maturity of our systems. We hope this project will pave the way for additional projects both in Switzerland and worldwide". |
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