The Hermes 900 is an Israeli medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for tactical missions at medium altitudes with long operating durations. The drone can operate for 30 hours in the air and reach a maximum altitude of 30,000 feet. Its primary missions include surveillance, eavesdropping, and communication relay. The wingspan of the drone is 15 meters and it weighs 970 kg, with the capability to carry a payload of 300 kg. It can be equipped with electro-optical or infrared sensors, mobile ground target designators, electronic intelligence and communication equipment, electronic warfare systems, synthetic aperture radars, and hyperspectral sensors. Some Hermes 900 drones were manufactured in India in a partnership between the Indian Adani Defence and Elbit Systems.
#### Operational History
The Hermes 900 was first used by Israel during Operation Protective Edge in July 2014, in a series of operations that eventually led to an airstrike by a fighter jet that destroyed part of the resistance infrastructure in Gaza. Personnel from Elbit conducted maintenance on the drone during the operation, as Israeli Air Force teams were not yet qualified for this work, and Elbit representatives guided the drone operators during combat flight missions. Following the operation, the Hermes 900 returned to complete its scheduled flight and integration tests. The drone was undergoing flight testing and was not expected to be operationally deployed until late 2015, but it was used in the operation to perform specific tasks that it could carry out better compared to the Hermes 450. The Hermes 900 officially entered operational service in the Israeli Air Force on November 11, 2015.