Elbit Hermes 900


The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 Kochav is an Israeli medium-size, multi-payload, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle designed for tactical missions. It is a sequel 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, surveillance and communications relay. The Hermes 900 has a wingspan of and weighs, with a payload capability of. Payload options include electro-optical/infrared sensors, synthetic-aperture radar/ground-moving target indication, communications and electronic intelligence, electronic warfare, and hyperspectral sensors.

Operational history

Israel

The Hermes 900 was first used by Israel during Operation Protective Edge 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 inspecting one of the drones.
During the 2020 Armenian-Azerbaijani skirmishes, the Armenia's Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan reported that Armenian forces had shot down an Azerbaijani Hermes 900 drone, sharing the of the alleged shoot down on social media. The Azerbaijani side denied losing any of its drones.

Operators