German Navy interested in purchasing Israeli Hermes 900 UAVs, says IDF

The IDF website reports that the German Navy is considering the purchase of the Hermes 900 UAV manufactured by the Israeli company Elbit.

A spokesperson for the German airline Lufthansa announced this week that the company will be partnering with the Israeli company Elbit Systems on military drones through its subsidiary Lufthansa Technik.

Elbit declined to comment on the matter.

Although a memorandum of understanding was signed between Lufthansa Technik and Elbit Systems in January 2023, there is currently no official contract between the two companies.

According to the publication, the German Navy is interested in finalizing an agreement for the procurement and maintenance of eight Hermes 900 StarLiner UAVs.

Lufthansa Technik will oversee maintenance and crew training, while Elbit will handle the production of these UAVs. However, the cost of the contract has not been disclosed.

This marks Lufthansa Technik's first UAV maintenance project, having previously provided support to NATO aircraft fleets, including F-35 fighter jets, Chinook transport helicopters, and Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, notes Israel Defense.