Elbit Systems to supply Brazil with Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft for intelligence-gathering

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced on March 26 that it was awarded a contract by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for the supply of a Hermes 900 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), which will be equipped with a new and advanced intelligence-gathering system.

The Hermes 900 UAS will be operated by FAB in combined missions with the Hermes 450 fleet, already in operational use. Both UAS will carry safety and security missions in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Games.

The contract has a value that is not considered material to Elbit Systems, and the Hermes 900 will be supplied within two months, says an Elbit press release.

Elad Aharonson, general manager of Elbit Systems UAS division, said, “We are very proud to supply our Hermes 900 to FAB, which is the eighth customer to be equipped with this leading platform. We are honored to enable FAB to benefit from the advantages of joint flight operations, using both the Hermes 450 and the Hermes 900, a unique solution for intelligence missions, border protection, perimeter control of infrastructure and critical sites, as well as Safe City programs and large scale events.”

Hermes 900, already in service with the Israeli Air Force and additional armed forces, offers longer endurance, flight altitude of 30,000 feet and a large payload capacity, suitable for carrying a wide range of payloads, as well as capabilities to operate in adverse weather.

The UAS is highly autonomous, enabling automatic takeoff and landing and includes advanced avionics and electronic systems. The system allows for joint flight missions with the Hermes 450, controlled and operated from the same universal ground control station, transmitting the gathered imagery, while using various communications systems.

Elbit Systems’ subsidiary in Brazil, AEL SYSTEMAS S.A., will supply FAB with technical and engineering support as well as logistic and maintenance services. The Porto Alegre-based company has approximately 200 employees and is involved in many Brazilian defense projects, both for FAB and for the Brazilian Army, in the areas of platform upgrades and logistic and technical support.