19 June 2019: Elbit Systems has commenced the operation of the maritime UAS patrol service which is available to countries in the European Union (EU) under a contract between the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Portuguese company CEiiA. The first EU country to use this particular long-range UAS patrol service is Iceland. The Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol operation was carried out by the Icelandic maritime authorities at the Egilsstadir airport in the East of the island, from which maritime UAS patrol can cover more than half of the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The Hermes 900 Maritime Patrol is an unmanned maritime surveillance system. It can be used for long-range surveillance and is made for littoral and blue water operations, featuring maritime radar, Satellite Communication, an Electro Optic payload, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and an Emergency Position-indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) receiver.