Chile: Emergency landing of the Hermes 900 UAV

The Hermes Q900 UAV of the Chilean Air Force suffers damage after a forced landing. The aircraft supported the National Forestry Corporation in taking photos as part of the mega forest fire in the country

An Elbit Systems Hermes Q900 unmanned aerial vehicle from Aviation Group No. 2 of the Chilean Air Force (FACh) that was used to monitor forest fires affecting the southern part of the country fell on the afternoon of Friday, February 10, into the waters of the Cautin River.

As reported by Infodefense.com, this UAV was deployed to support the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf), capturing real-time images that help guide firefighting efforts and contribute to decision-making in the emergency situation the country is experiencing.

According to local media, the drone returned to Maquehue Air Base, located in Padre Las Casas in the Araucanía region, and for unknown reasons had to make an emergency landing on the south bank of the Cautin River. FACh personnel moved to the crash site aboard a Bell 412 helicopter to secure the area .

The Hermes Q900 is a medium-altitude long-range (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle designed by Elbit Systems for land and sea target detection. It has a wingspan of 15 meters, a maximum take-off weight of 1,180 kg and can carry a payload of up to 350 kg. The UAV is powered by a Rotax 914 engine with a power of 115 hp that develops a speed of 220 km/h. It reaches an altitude of 9,000 meters and is able to stay in the air for up to 36 hours.

It has day and night cameras; laser targeting, SAR/GMTI systems, Comint DF and Elint; Double data link encryption system (LOS) and communication beyond the line of sight (Blos). It can operate independently or be integrated into an overall configuration of sensors based on aircraft, ships, land or shore installations, providing real-time information on the tactical landscape in a given geographic area.

Chile was the first international customer to purchase the Hermes 900. In 2011, three systems were purchased. Its operation is entrusted to Aviation Group No. 2 of the 1st Air Division.