Home      Discussion      Topics      Dictionary      Almanac
Signup       Login
Elbit Hermes 450

Elbit Hermes 450

Discussion
Ask a question about 'Elbit Hermes 450'
Start a new discussion about 'Elbit Hermes 450'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum
 
Encyclopedia
{|

Operators


  • In June 2008, Azerbaijan ordered ten Hermes 450, choosing it over other drone models because of its "'invisibility' for the enemy's anti-aircraft defense." On September 12, 2011, a UAV was reportedly shot down by the air defense arm of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
    Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army
    The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army is the formal defense force of the unrecognized but de-facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

     (NKDA) over the airspace of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
    Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
    The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...

     (near the village of Gülablı
    Gülabli
    Gülablı or Vazgenashen is a village in the province of Martuni in the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and a de jure part of the Agdam Rayon of the Republic of Azerbaijan...

     in the province of district of Khojavend). Preliminary investigations carried out by the NKDA have determined the model to be a Hermes 450 type. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense initially denied losing any drones. An article that appeared in the Turkish tabloid paper several days later alleged that the UAV was in fact operated by Israel and making reconnaissance flights from Armenia to spy on Iran.




  • The Brazilian Air Force
    Brazilian Air Force
    The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...

     has, since December 2009 a unit under lease for 1 year of testing and evaluations in conjunction with the Brazilian Army
    Brazilian Army
    The Brazilian Army is the land arm of the Brazilian Military. The Brazilian Army has fought in several international conflicts, mostly in South America and during the 19th century, such as the Brazilian War of Independence , Argentina-Brazil War , War of the Farrapos , Platine War , Uruguayan War ...

     and Brazilian Navy
    Brazilian Navy
    The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...

    ; there are plans to buy two more.


  • Two Hermes 450 were ordered by the Croatia
    Croatia
    Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

    n military along with two smaller Skylark UAVs in late 2006, delivered in late 2007.


  • The Cyprus Air Forces
    Cyprus Air Forces
    The Cyprus Air Command is the armed air wing of the National Guard. This force does not have any fixed wing combat aircraft, but is equipped with attack and anti-tank helicopters, surface-to-air missile and integrated radar systems, as well as Unmanned aerial vehicles .- Current Air Force...

     operating one UAV Squadron (2 groups of UAVs). Reported to be procured no later than 2009.


  • Hermes 450 have also been used by Georgia
    Georgia (country)
    Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

     for reconnaissance over its disputed Abkhazia
    Abkhazia
    Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...

     territory, where some were shot down
    2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns
    2008 Georgian spy plane shootdowns refers to seven occasions during the course of March, April and May 2008 where Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia claimed to have shot down unmanned Georgian reconnaissance aircraft...

    .


  • The Mexican Air Force
    Mexican Air Force
    The Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...

     acquired the Hermes 450 system in 2009.


  • The Singapore Ministry of Defence
    Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
    The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...

     announced that the Republic of Singapore Air Force
    Republic of Singapore Air Force
    The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...

     is adding the Hermes 450 to its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle fleet, as part of the Air Force's new UAV command.


  • The Israeli Air Force
    Israeli Air Force
    The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...

    , which operates a Hermes 450 squadron out of Palmachim Airbase
    Palmachim Airbase
    Palmachim Air Force Base is an Israeli military facility and spaceport located near the cities of Rishon LeZion and Yavne on the Mediterranean Sea. It is named after nearby Kibbutz Palmachim on the Mediterranean shore....

     south of Tel Aviv
    Tel Aviv
    Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...

    , has adapted the Hermes 450 for use as an assault UAV, reportedly equipping it with two Hellfire
    AGM-114 Hellfire
    The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile developed primarily for anti-armor use. It has multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike capability, and can be launched from multiple air, sea, and ground platforms. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100 lb-class air-to-ground precision...

     missiles or, according to various sources , two Rafael-made missiles. According to Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese and independent reports, the Israeli assault UAV has seen extensive service in the Gaza Strip
    Gaza Strip
    thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...

     and was used intensively in the Second Lebanon War
    2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
    The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...

     as well as in the 2009 Sudan air raids. Israel has not denied this capability, but to date, its policy has been not to officially confirm it either.


  • The H450 is operated by the 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery
    32nd Regiment Royal Artillery
    32nd Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the surveillance and target acquisition role, and is equipped with the Hermes 450 and Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles.-History:...

     of the British Army
    British Army
    The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

     on military operations in Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

     and Iraq
    Iraq
    Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

    . The British version is the only Hermes to use laser gyroscopes in its inertial navigation system
    Inertial navigation system
    An inertial navigation system is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object without the need for external references...

    . It does not have the option for wing mounted armament. The Hermes 450 is the basis of the British Army's Watchkeeper WK450, development of which started in July 2005 in conjunction with Thales
    Thales Group
    The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...

    . Watchkeeper is scheduled to replace Hermes in 2010.


  • Hermes 450s are operated by the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Test and Evaluation Program at the Naval Air Station Fallon
    Naval Air Station Fallon
    Naval Air Station Fallon or NAS Fallon is the United States Navy's premier air-to-air and air-to-ground training facility. It is located southeast of the city of Fallon in western Nevada in the United States. Since 1996, it has been home to the Naval Fighter Weapons School , and the surrounding...

    , and two Hermes 450s were tested by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2004.

External links