The Israeli Air Force announces the formation of a new drone squadron that will operate the Elbit Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle.
The 147th Squadron, known as “The Battering Ram,” was inaugurated at Palmachim Airbase yesterday.
The military says the squadron was established as part of plans in the IAF to double its Hermes 900 operations amid the war, and other changes to the UAV array.
Palmachim houses the only other Hermes 900 squadron, the 166th.
The Hermes 900 drone is used by the IDF for attack and surveillance missions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon, and other areas.
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said the new squadron was a “tremendous addition.”
“In this justified war, the entire UAV array demonstrates operational competence and extremely high operational effectiveness. Thousands of Hamas operatives killed, a variety of [surveillance] and intelligence missions, availability and flexibility 24/7, over a period of six months,” Bar says.
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this