Royal Thai Navy to buy seven Hermes 900 UAVs from Elbit Systems.

According to The Bangkok Post and The Nation, Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin, Royal Thai Navy spokesman, revealed that the navy had chosen seven Hermes 900 UAVs from Elbit Systems. The Israeli firm offered the non-tariff price of US$120 million. The UAVs will be equipped with hardware and software defence technology which are applicable for prospective attack missions, said a navy source.

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Hermes 900 (Picture source: Elbit Systems)

The contract signing will take place at the Bang Chang naval air base in Rayong. The procurement contract will be drafted by a committee before being presented to the commander-in-chief Adm Somprasong Nilsamai. The navy, Elbit Systems Ltd and the National Anti-Corruption Commission will be the three signatories to the procurement contract, Vice Adm Pokkrong said.

Five companies, one each from Turkey, China and the United States and two from Israel joined the RTN’s bid, the Bangkok Post reports. The suppliers from China and Turkey proposed three UAVs, while Elbit Systems proposed seven and the other Israeli company, IAI, proposed five. The US bidder failed the screening test. Earlier, two opposition MP members accused the RTN of not being transparent in the procurement of the drones when they changed from Chinese-made, Wing Loong, to favour the Israeli-made drones and that the Hermes 900 has not been deployed by the navy of any country.

On its side, the Royal Thai Army, currently, operates four Hermes 450 drones, stationed at the Army Aviation Centre in Lop Buri province.

The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 Kochav ("Star") is a medium-size, multi-payload, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (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 30,000 feet (9,100 m), with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance and communications relay. The Hermes 900 has a wingspan of 15 m (49 ft) and weighs 970 kg (2,140 lb), with a payload capability of 300 kg (660 lb). Payload options include electro-optical/infrared sensors, synthetic-aperture radar/ground-moving target indication, communications and electronic intelligence, electronic warfare, and hyperspectral sensors.