Hezbollah claimed on 26 February to have shot down an Israeli Air Force Hermes 450 UAV over Lebanon – the second such aircraft the Iran-backed organisation claims to have destroyed.
According to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) sources, two surface-to-air missiles were launched against a UAV operating over Lebanon, the first being intercepted by a David’s Sling air defence system but the second apparently scoring a hit, resulting in the aircraft crashing “inside Lebanese territory”.
Hezbollah claims to have downed a first Elbit Systems-manufactured Hermes 450 last November and, more recently, claims to have “seized control” of an unspecified number of Skylark reconnaissance drones, also developed by Elbit.
For more information: Hezbollah ‘Crosses Red Line’, Downs Hermes 450 Drone – Al-Manar TV Lebanon (almanar.com.lb)
(Image: Several IDF units operate the Hermes 450 ‘Zik’ drone, including Squadron 161, the ‘Black Snakes’. Credit: IDF)
