Elbit Systems Unveils New Tactical Drone

By Yoni Weiss

Defense contractor Elbit Systems unveiled its newest tactical drone at the Singapore Airshow on Wednesday.

Dubbed the Hermes 650 Spark, the drone can stay aloft for up to 24 hours, carry a payload of up to 260 kilograms, and operates at a range of 300 kilometers (200 miles).

The propeller-driven aircraft is also designed to be able to take off from short runways.

The Hermes family of drones made by the Haifa-based Elbit are designed for a variety of military and homeland security missions, including intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, and maritime patrol.

“This cutting-edge UAS (unmanned aerial system), built on decades of market leadership, underscores our commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology, and providing exceptional capabilities to our global partners,” said Yoram Shmuely, general manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace.

Unmanned aerial vehicles make up a sizable amount of Israeli arms sales. In 2022, when Israeli arms exports hit a record $12.5 billion, a Defense Ministry report said that unmanned aerial systems accounted for about one-quarter of the new agreements signed that year.