Hermes 450

A tactical medium-altitude long-endurance UAV that became one of Israel's most combat-proven reconnaissance drones (as Zik), widely exported and later license-built in the UK as the Watchkeeper WK450. Predecessor to the larger Hermes 900.

In service since 1998 · 15 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

176

km/h

300

km range

5,490

m ceiling

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Israeli export-licensed

Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 15 operators

In service since 1998. Status: active · ~300 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 176 km/h

Stronger than 27% of UAVs
Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.: 130 km/h

Stronger than 39% of UAVs
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 300 km

Stronger than 46% of UAVs
Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.: 5,490 m

Stronger than 35% of UAVs
Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.: 20 h

Stronger than 58% of UAVs

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 6.1 m
Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span.: 10.5 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 450 kg
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 550 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 0

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Rotax 914 piston engine
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Piston, pusher propeller

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.: Electro-optical/infrared payload, Synthetic aperture radar (optional)
Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.: LOS datalink

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 300

Stronger than 47% of UAVs
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 15

Stronger than 87% of UAVs

Specifications compiled from public Elbit Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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