HAIFA, Israel, 28 Jan. 2013. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) engineers are developing advanced features for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) under a contract with the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD).

Elbit Systems won an approximately $35 million IMOD contract for the development of advanced UAS features to be supplied within three years. One mission requirement is the quick re-configuration of the UAS payloads.

This contract comes in addition to contracts, awarded by the IMOD and announced in 2012, for the supply of Hermes 900 UAS and maintenance services.

"The IMOD's decision to award this development contract reflects the trust and recognition of our technological capabilities and further strengthens our long-term strategic cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the UAS field,” says Elad Aharonson, general manager of Elbit Systems' UAS Division.

“The Hermes 900 is a world-leading UAS, and we are proud of the IMOD's decision to procure further systems and advanced capabilities," Aharonson adds.