Elbit Systems has unveiled a new variant of its Hermes 900 unmanned air vehicle, the StarLiner, which features modifications to enable its safe operation in civil airspace.
The medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV has been flight tested for the past 12 months in an Israeli national park, under the supervision of the country's civil aviation regulator.
Elbit says the StarLiner features a number of technologies to enable its integration in civil airspace, including the latest sense-and-avoid and terrain-avoidance warning systems, as well as an automatic take-off and landing feature. It is also suitable for beyond-line-of-site operations.
Elbit Systems
"Anticipating the rising security need for operating unmanned aircraft in the same environment with civilian manned aircraft enabled us to achieve this breakthrough," states Elad Aharonson, executive vice-president and general manager of Elbit's ISTAR division .
Elbit is currently assembling a version of the Hermes 900 StarLiner for the Swiss military, which will be delivered in 2019 for integration into civil airspace.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
