The Israel Air Force is seeking to augment its UAS capability with the procurement of new MALE aircraft, some of which may be armed. The decision was made to buy Elbit Systems’ Hermes 900 and additional units of Israel Aerospace Industries Heron 1, which is the IAF’s reconnaissance and surveillance workhorse.
The IAF purchased three Hermes 900 UAS for evaluation in May 2010 and is waiting for final approval to purchase additional systems from the IDF General Staff, which is in the midst of finalizing the military’s multi-year procurement plan for the coming five years.
IAF plans are to establish a new squadron of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs consisting of the Hermes 900 and the Heron 1.
The Hermes 900 is based on the smaller Hermes 450, which has been in IAF service for a number of years, and according to foreign media reports is used frequently to fire missiles at terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. It can carry almost double the size of the payload of the smaller Hermes 450, including an electrooptic camera, laser designator, radar, electronic intelligence and electronic warfare.
Source: Jerusalem Post