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| The Elbit Systems Hermes 900 flying over Switzerland during the Swiss evaluation of the UAS. Photo: Armasuisse |
[Avionics Today 11-30-2015] Elbit Systems has been awarded an approximately $200 million contract from the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), for the supply of Hermes 900 Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and an advanced ground segment for command, control and communications. The Hermes 900 HFE system, to be supplied to the Swiss Air Force, is an adverse-weather unarmed reconnaissance UAS, offering improved operational capabilities.
The contract, to be performed over a four-year period, follows the DDPS June 2014 announcement about Elbit Systems selection as the preferred supplier for the UAS 15 new reconnaissance drone program.