Elbit System of America holds an informative gathering to highlight the flights of the large scale Unmanned Aircraft System over North Dakota for precision agriculture and electric distribution infrastructure damage assessment.
Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd, along with its local partners, hosted an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) field day today, August 22, at the Hillsboro Regional Airport to highlight its recent HERMES® 450 flights over North Dakota. The event welcomed Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley, who served as Master of Ceremonies. Also attending were U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. and U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
“North Dakota has been called the ‘Silicon Valley of Drones’ and it is our honor to bring the Hermes 450 to Traill County,” said Elbit Systems of America President and Chief Executive Officer Raanan Horowitz. “Leveraging the experience of our parent company with the commercial insights of our partners, we bring advanced technology to the farmland, demonstrating effective approaches for data collection.”
Equipped with advanced sensors and high resolution cameras, such as the Vision Map A3 Edge and the Elbit Systems Compass EO/IR real time sensor, the Hermes 450 is capable of covering 40,000 acres in one hour and can remain in flight for 17 hours.
Elbit Systems of America, a US company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, has been operating from the Hillsboro Regional Airport for the last four months where it has flown multiple precision agriculture flights. In collaboration with North Dakota State University and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, Elbit Systems of America has worked with select local farmers to gather and analyze data for crop management improvement, increasing efficiency, and greater yield.
“Imagery from the Hermes 450 can help farmers understand and monitor changes in field variability throughout the season,” stated Sarah Lovas, Lovas Farms. “This knowledge can help us better focus our crop scouting efforts and our in-season fertilizer applications, which can save of us time and make our applications more efficient.”
Beyond precision agriculture, Elbit Systems of America is partnering with Xcel Energy, the University North Dakota, and others to use the large scale UAS in assessing damage to utility infrastructure following storms, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. The Xcel Energy project began in July 2016 and will continue for one year with the goal of reducing utility down time while increasing safety and efficiency.
“In a natural disaster, drone technology will provide valuable damage assessment data to help Xcel Energy mobilize crews, materials and equipment to speed recovery efforts,” said Michael Lamb, vice president, Xcel Energy operating services and & enterprise transformation office. “We’re pleased to work with Elbit Systems and other partners using technology that improves energy reliability and safety for our customers and employees.”
Precision agriculture and power line assessment are just two of the commercial markets Elbit Systems of America is exploring. The HERMES 450® can also support the assessment of railroads, oil and gas lines, geology studies, and natural disasters.
About Elbit Systems of America, LLC
Elbit Systems of America is a leading provider of high performance products, system solutions, and support services focusing on the commercial aviation, defense, homeland security, cyber security, and medical instrumentation markets. With facilities throughout the United States, Elbit Systems of America is dedicated to supporting those who contribute daily to the safety and security of the United States. Elbit Systems of America, LLC is wholly owned by Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT), a global electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs for innovative defense and commercial applications. For additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems-us.com or follow us on Twitter.
About Elbit Systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems.
For additional information, visit: http://www.elbitsystems.com or follow us on Twitter.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.’s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.
Contact: Shari Clarkson | +1-682-286-2363 | sharon.clarkson@elbitsystems-us.com