Hermes 900 Reconnaissance UAV completes successful first flight in Switzerland

After flight-testing completion, two UAVs will be handed over to the Swiss Air Force during the second half of 202. The remaining four UAVs from Elbit will follow by the end of 2023

Hermes 900 Reconnaissance UAV completes successful first flight in Switzerland

Photo: Federral Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport - Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), announced last week that the Hermes 900 reconnaissance UAV system (designated locally as ADS-15) for the Swiss Armed Forces in Emmen Airport completed its first flight.

After the successful taxiing trials in May 2022, the first of the two UAVS of the reconnaissance UAV system ADS 15 which arrived in Switzerland at the end of April 2022 completed its successful first flight.

The UAV is controlled by a Swiss test pilot took off for its first flight at 07:00. After a flight of around 70 minutes, the UAV returned safely to Emmen. During its flight, the drone attained a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour and a maximum altitude of 2,000 meters above the sea. Specialists from the Israeli manufacturer Elbit supported the Swiss project team in the preparation before and during the flight. All planned test points of the first flight were successfully completed.

In the coming months, additional tests will take place with the two UAV from Swiss military airfields. Among other things, the sensors will be tested, the technical functionality of the UAVs checked and flown and missions of various durations in length carried out. The ADS 15 can remain in the air for up to 24 hours.

Once flight-testing and authorization by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) have been completed, the two UAVs will be transferred to the Air Force during the second half of the year. The remaining four drones will follow by the end of 2023.

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