The Brazilian air force will employ four Israel-made Hermes UAV drones to provide security for this year’s FIFA Confederations Cup soccer matches in June. The games are a runner-up to next year’s World Cup championships, where Israeli UAVs also will provide security.
Brazil has shelled out $25 for Hermes drones, manufactured by Israel’s publicly traded Elbit Systems.
The Israel Defense website said that two Hermes 450 UAVs already are in the skies, and two more are scheduled for delivery in time for the games in mid-June. The new drones include a new infrared camera and an advanced communication system.
Elbit has sold dozens of Hermes drones around the world, including Azerbaijan, Botswana, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Mexico, Singapore the United States and Britain.
The Hermes 450 unmanned vehicle is designed for tactical long endurance missions and can stay in the skies for more than 20 hours at a time, with a primary mission of reconnaissance, surveillance and communications relay.