The military media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah broadcast on Saturday scenes of its fighters downing an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Israeli UAV, an advanced multi-mission combat Hermes 450 drone was downed by a surface-to-air missile, with the military media saying the wreckage of the UAV was seen falling over al-Jalil.

The Israeli UAV, named the "Zik" in Hebrew, had violated Lebanese airspace earlier in the day.

The video included a detailed explanation of the UAV used for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as monitoring and attacking ground targets. Additionally, it provides support to ground forces with firepower and reconnaissance.

#WATCH | The Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon published a video showing its fighters shooting down an Israeli Hermes 450 drone. pic.twitter.com/zG71gLxqcG

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 18, 2023

Moreover, the Hermes 450 is used to direct firepower for artillery, tactical signal reconnaissance, and armed patrols to address emergencies.

The specs of the UAV, as per the video, are as follows: Length: 6.1 m, wingspan: 10.6 m, range: 300 km, weight: 550 kg, altitude up to 6 km, battery life: up to 18 hours, speed: 65 m/s.

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The Islamic Resistance said the UAV possesses special features, such as the ability to capture both normal and thermal images up to a distance of 4.5 kilometers. It is equipped with laser targeting for fixed and moving targets and can carry up to 4 missiles of the Star, GatR, or Mkholit types.

The scenes depicted the monitoring of the UAV, followed by its targeting and subsequent successful attack.

What message does downing the Hermes hold?

Al Mayadeen's military and strategic affairs commentator, Charles Abi Nader, explained that the drone downed by the Lebanese Resistance is a reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft that also serves as a combat drone.  

Abi Nader confirmed that the Hermes 450 drone is an advanced aircraft with a flight duration of up to 20 hours, noting that "this is a unique feature, as it is a very long duration for reconnaissance and combat operations."

He added that one of its features is its ability to fire at targets from a long range (as far as 200km) with guided or semi-guided missiles. 

Abi Nader described this military development as being an anticipated one in light of the introduction of advanced weapons by the Lebanese Resistance, which indicated a steady trend of escalation. 

He also emphasized that downing an aircraft like this requires a level of sophisticated skills, pointing to a development in Hezbollah's air defense capabilities.

Abi Nader described this as a significant and fundamental shift, noting that this operation is ominous for "Israel", especially since it was conducted on the northern front which has been under great pressure recently after all ground surveillance devices have been put out of order by Resistance operation, in addition to the retreat of armored vehicles tasked with overseeing and monitoring.

According to him, this achievement has served as a blow to the enemy's security structure on this front. The relative retreat of infantry and armored vehicles and the destruction of surveillance devices have prompted the occupation to rely heavily on drones, which Hezbollah has shown can be rendered ineffective.