Hermes 900 Starliner, Drone With Dual Certification Military and Civil

Hermes 900 is known as a reconnaissance drone with MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) qualifications.

The debut of this large, propeller-powered drone has been quite a while, because the Hermes 900 first flew on December 9, 2009.

And at the Paris AirShow 2023, the manufacturer, namely Elbit Systems, introduced a new variant called the Hermes 900 Starliner.

What's new about the Hermes 900 Starliner?

According to breakingdefense.com, it is said that this Israeli-produced drone has a unique certification, namely that it can be used for military and civilian missions.

In a sign of how important unmanned systems are to the Israeli defense industry, the Israeli Defense Ministry demonstrated the UAV at the inauguration of the Israeli pavilion at the Paris Air Show this week.

The drone is said to be able to carry out reconnaissance support and maritime patrol missions for naval customers and civilian government agencies.

Elbit said it has sold more than 120 Hermes 900s overseas so far.

Compared to General Atomic's much larger MALE drone, the MQ-9 Reaper, Elbit claims the Hermes 900 comes with unique features and cost-effective characteristics.

The Starliner variation is meant to fly over civilian airspace and has options for anything from defense to law enforcement to helping fight forest fires.

Elbit has invested more than six years in obtaining dual certification for the Hermes 900, while the certification is issued by the Israeli civil airspace authority.

This certification includes passing flight tests and safety standards.

Elbit noted that in order to meet NATO's STANAG-4671 airworthiness requirements, the drone needed to be designed from the outset for these parameters.

"Switzerland was the first to buy the Hermes 900 Starliner; after that, they also issued a military-type certificate, so we have a dual certification for military firepower," he said.

Integrating UAVs into non-segregated airspace has been an issue of discussion for years.

Canada is also using Starliner drones for environmental protection," said a spokesperson for Elbit.

The Starliner can fly over populated areas, for example, which military aircraft generally avoid, and military drones don't usually fly in those areas either.

Its versatility means that the Elbit large drone has multiple military and civilian applications, such as firefighting, natural disasters, nuclear disasters, refugees, and many other possibilities in the maritime arena.

The Starliner can be equipped with life rafts to help rescue pilots and sonobuoys to spot threats underwater.

The Hermes 900 is powered by a Rotax 914 propeller engine with 115 hp.

This drone, with a full weight of 1.1 tons, can shoot up to a maximum speed of 112 kilometers per hour.

Bearing the title MALE, the Hermes 900 can fly continuously for 36 hours at an altitude of 9,100 meters.