Hermes 900

Israel's workhorse multi-role MALE UAS — a persistent surveillance and unacknowledged strike platform with 36-hour endurance, SATCOM over-the-horizon control, and over 120 airframes ordered by more than 20 operators worldwide.

Overview

The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 — known in Israeli Air Force service as "Kochav" (Star) — is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system that has become the backbone of the IAF’s persistent ISR fleet and an export mainstay. It can carry 350 kg of payloads ranging from EO/IR and SAR/GMTI to maritime radar, SIGINT and electronic-warfare suites, all while loitering for up to 36 hours via satellite communications. Israel officially designates the Hermes 900 a surveillance platform, but trade-press reports describe compatibility with Spike-family guided missiles, giving it an unacknowledged precision-strike capability. More than 20 countries on four continents have acquired the type, including Switzerland (ADS 15), Brazil (RQ-900), India (Drishti-10 Starliner) and Canada (StarLiner), and new orders from Singapore and a $120 million maritime customer in 2025 keep the production line busy.

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