Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT) will supply its Hermes 900 HFE to the Swiss Armed Forces, under its UAS 15 reconnaissance drone program. The 250 million Swiss Franc program will most probably be submitted for approval to Parliament with the 2015 armaments program.
The Swiss Armed Forces will replace its ADS 95 Ranger reconnaissance by 2020. The Ranger UAVs have been in operation since 2001 and are reaching the end of their life cycle.
Selection of the Hermes 900 HFE by the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, will allow replacement of the Ranger system in good time.
Elbit Systems beat Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) (TASE: ARSP.B1), which offered its Super Heron. The Swiss Army opted for the Hermes 900 favored because it delivered the better overall result in all assessed criteria. The two UAV systems were the best in meeting the requirements in the prequalification stage.
The Hermes 900 HFE system is an all-weather unarmed reconnaissance drone system that is more flexible, has longer endurance in the air and a wider operational range than the system currently in use. Combat drones are not currently an option for the Swiss Ministry of Defense, which will explain the UAV's use in the dispatch on procurement of the Armed Forces Development Program and the Security Policy Report.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 8, 2014
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