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After a series of successful training and pilot flights, a Kochav—‘star’ in Hebrew—is born in the form of the Elbit Hermes 900 operational drone which has been incorporated into Israel’s air force.
The new remote Israeli medium-sized drone is the improved version of its predecessor, the Elbit Hermes 450. The main objective in its redevelopment was to double its power and capabilities in a an array of aspects, namely size, load capacity, air time capability and distance abilities.
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The newly-operational Kochav drone in action
(צילום: דובר צה"ל)
In addition to the multiple changes made to the UAV, several elements and characteristics of its predecessor have been maintained, including its communication system, the way in which it is operated and maintenance methods.
Despite the similarities between the two drones however, the Kochav could not be automatically incorporated into the air force without required adaptation, training and test flights to comprehensively ready it for military use.
The process of introducing it into the air force was already underway by the beginning of Operation Protective Edge in 2014.
According to the Israel Air Force, developers of the Kochav have met the core multiple requirements, including extending its power capacity and air time. Moreover, the quantity of equipment that can be attached to the Kochav has been significantly increased. “This is a quantum leap in technological capabilities,” said one IDF official.
The kochav is nine meters long, with a wingspan of 16 meters. It can reach an impressive maximum speed of 200kph and can stay in the air for up to 30 hours.