Hezbollah fighters shot down an Israeli “Hermes 450” drone that violated Lebanese airspace in the south on Monday, using a surface-to-air missile, according to the party.
This is the first time that the downing of an Israeli drone has been confirmed since the start of Israeli strikes on Lebanon on October 8. Earlier this month, Hezbollah announced that it had “seized” two Israeli “Sky Lark” drones, but did not provide any evidence or further details on how it did so.
Technical specifications:
- Manufacturer: Elbit Systems
- Weight: 450 kilograms
- Payload: 150 kilograms
- Maximum speed: 95 knots
- Maximum altitude: 5,500 meters
This aircraft is characterized by its reliance on a single long wing and a high tail, both made of lightweight materials that facilitate its mission and enable it to fly freely. It operates within a highly encrypted electronic mechanism that makes it difficult to hack its systems during flight.
This unmanned aircraft is equipped with electrical and optical equipment for normal vision, as well as infrared and local radar that allows it to take pictures at night and in bad weather conditions. The aircraft transmits the images and information it collects to a ground station directly and without time lag, and intercepts all types of wireless signals and transmits them to the station and headquarters of the Israeli National Security Agency (SIGINT).
It can carry different types of missiles and bombs and has been developed to launch missiles in two ways: “vertical drop and semi-guided launch”, but these missiles and bombs are limited to a certain weight.
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