Country in S.E. Asia Enhances SAR with Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol UAS

Elbit Systems recently delivered an Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to an undisclosed customer in South-East Asia.

The Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol integrates detection and identification capabilities, onboard inflated life-rafts, and precision dispatch capability, so that it can perform long-range maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) missions.

Adverse weather conditions and short endurance significantly degrade the SAR capabilities of manned aircraft, often preventing them from executing their missions. Capable of more than 24 hours of continuous flight, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol can operate in adverse weather conditions during the day and at night.

Crucially, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol can carry up to four, six-person life-rafts that are integrated on its wings.

Using an onboard maritime radar the UAS detects survivor situations. Upon detection the UAS’ Electro-Optic/Infra-Red (EO/IR) payload is deployed to provide visual identification, and a rapid calculation of the drop-point is performed, enabling the UAS to dispatch life rafts from a low-altitude of 600ft to a pin-pointed location at a safe distance from the survivors. A gradual inflation process of the life-rafts is initiated after dispatch and is completed upon landing.

The Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance UAS has been operational with the Israeli Air Force since 2015.

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