It has been recently announced that the Royal Thai Navy intends to enter into an agreement to procure seven Hermes 900 UAVs from Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems. According to local media, Hermes’ offer bested more than a dozen proposals from Turkey, China, Israel, and the United States.
The Navy spokesman revealed that the company offered the non-tariff price of USD 120 million, equivalent to approximately THB 4 billion. The Navy will also install advanced defense technology into aircraft to improve their performance. Specifically, the UAVs will be upgraded with hardware and software defense technology that are applicable for prospective attack missions.
The Hermes 900 UAV is equipped with a range of high-performance sensors which allows it to detect ground or maritime targets over a wide spectral range. It can be operated for over 35 hours, with a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, or over 9,100 meters.
The drones will be deployed at coastal naval bases to support maritime missions along with the four Hermes 450 drones that the Royal Thai Navy already has in operation.
(Sources: Bangkok Post; The Defense Post)
