(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Just days after Houthi fighters shot down an U.S. MQ-9B Reaper drone, Hezbollah militants have now successfully downed another Israeli drone, an Hermes 900, as it hovered over southern Lebanon’s airspace.
The Israeli drone was targeted and brought down in the southern Lebanese town of Deif Kifa. By Hezbollah which was believed to have used a surface-to-air missile supplied by Iran.
In a statement, Hezbollah announced, “The Israeli drone was downed after it was monitored for a period and action was taken following its attack on villagers and territories in Lebanon.”
They added, “The drone was shot down using a suitable weapons system,” without disclosing the type of weapon used.
This incident marks the sixth downing of the Hermes 900 and its variant, the Hermes 450, by Hezbollah fighters since the conflict erupted with the Israeli military eight months ago.
Images and videos capturing the final moments of the advanced Israeli drone as it was shot down in southern Lebanon’s airspace have circulated on social media, showing the $10 million drone engulfed in flames and crashing to the ground in the the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.
The Hermes 900, also known as “Kochav,” is one of the most sophisticated Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets of the Israeli military, designed and developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems.
Meanwhile, the Hermes 450 is referred to as “Zik” by the Israeli military.
Apart from ISR missions, the Israeli Hermes 900 also participates in target identification, ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), and aerial monitoring missions.
The Israeli military extensively uses the Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 drones to target vehicles and residences of Hezbollah leaders and other armed Palestinian groups in southern Lebanon.
The Hermes 900 is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone with a wingspan of 15 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,180 kilograms.
Operated by the Israeli Air Force’s 166 Squadron, the Hermes 900 can carry a payload of up to 350 kilograms and fly at altitudes up to 30,000 feet.
Equipped with an array of sensors and payloads including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) cameras, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), maritime radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT) systems, and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, the Hermes 900 can fly for 36 hours in a single mission, allowing it to perform extended and long-range missions.
Controlled from a Ground Control Station (GCS) and utilizing secure data links for communication, the Hermes 900 ensures real-time control and information transmission.
It has been in service with the Israeli Air Force since 2012 and was employed by Israel during its conflicts with Palestine in 2014.
After the Heron TP, also known as “Eitan” and developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Hermes 900 is the second most extensively used surveillance drone by the Israeli military. — DSA