BERN, Sweden, 17 June 2014. Swiss Armed Forces officials have selected the Hermes 900 HFE, an unarmed reconnaissance unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufactured by Elbit Systems in Israel, to replace aging ADS 95 Ranger reconnaissance drone systems.
Swiss Armed Forces personnel will replace the ADS 95 Ranger drone, which they have been operating since 2001, by the year 2020.
Under the 2015 arms procurement program, efforts are in progress to replace the current unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, which is reaching the end of its life cycle. In order to ensure its timely replacement, officials have chosen the new model, enabling the dispatch on procurement to be drawn up.
The Hermes 900 HFE delivered the better overall result in all assessed criteria, officials reveal. 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.
The new UAVs are unarmed; currently, combat drones are not an option for the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).
The decision to procure the new reconnaissance drone system (ADS 15), which will cost around 250 million francs, will be submitted for approval to Parliament with the 2015 armaments program.
