Hermes takes off in Switzerland
AR-15 pictured on take-off for its maiden test flight. (Photo: DDPS)
The ADS-15 UAV (the Swiss designation for the Hermes 900) performed its first test flight on 15 June before planned transfer to the Swiss Air Force in the second half of the year.
The ADS-15 ISR UAV for the Swiss Armed Forces has performed its maiden test flight.
During the 70-minute flight from Emmen Air Base, the MALE UAV achieved a top speed of 180km/h and maximum altitude of 6,560ft above sea level, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) revealed on 15 June.
The ADS-15 returned safely to Emmen. ‘All planned test points of the first flight were successfully completed,’ the DDPS added.
This milestone followed successful roll tests in May 2022, after a pair of AR-15s were delivered to Switzerland in April 2022
ADS-15 is the local designation for the Hermes 900 UAV from Israeli manufacturer Elbit Systems. It replaces ADS-95 (RUAG Ranger) UAVs that entered Swiss service in 1999 and were retired in 2019.
‘Specialists from the Israeli manufacturer Elbit supported the Swiss project team in the preparation before and during the flight,’ the DDPS noted.
Pending the successful completion of a test programme for technical functionality and sensor performance, the two AR-15s will be transferred to the Swiss Air Force in the second half of 2022.
Four more AR-15s will follow by the end of 2023, the DDPS added.
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