Elbit Selected to Provide Maritime UAS to the European Union Maritime Safety Agency

Elbit Systems announced on November 1st that it was awarded a framework contract to
provide maritime Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) patrol services to be
provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to countries in
the European Union. The contract that will be executed in cooperation
with CEiiA is for a two-year base period and two single year option
periods. If fully ordered, the total contract value is €59 million
(approximately $68 million).

Under the contract and in cooperation with CEiiA, a leading
engineering company in Portugal, Elbit Systems will lease and operate
its Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol and its Ground Control Station. A
persistent long-range unmanned maritime surveillance system tailored for
littoral and blue water operations, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol will
feature maritime radar, an Electro Optic payload, Satellite
Communication and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.
Thus configured, the Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol will enable persistent
monitoring of vast swathes of sea and long coastlines and effective
identification of suspicious activities and potential hazards.

Elad Aharonson, General Manager of Elbit Systems ISTAR Division,
commented: "Having been selected by the European Union authorities is
yet another vote of confidence in the Hermes 900 by following additional
contract awards for this UAS in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and
Israel. Extensively deployed, the Hermes 900 family of UAS continuously
expands its capabilities introducing the capability to operate in
civilian airspace and integrating self-protection suites and stronger
payloads."

See the original article on ASDNews