An Elbit Hermes 900 drone. Photo: Mirgolth via Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel has successfully tested a new drone that will be incorporated into the Jewish state’s air force.

The Elbit Hermes 900 drone, called Kochav (meaning “star” in Hebrew), is an improved version of its predecessor, the Elbit Hermes 450.

The Kochav, which is nine meters (30 feet) long and has a wingspan of 16 meters (52 feet), can achieve a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hours (124 miles per hour) and can fly for up to 30 hours at a time.

According to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), the goal of the development of the Kochav is to double Israeli drones’ capabilities in terms of load capacity, air time and distance traveled.

“This is a quantum leap in technological capabilities,” an IDF official said, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

The unveiling of the new IAF drone comes as the Hezbollah and Hamas terror groups have also been incorporating drone technology into their arsenals. Hezbollah announced this week that it used a drone to carry out a strike against an Islamic State position along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Earlier this month, a small drone from Gaza infiltrated Israeli airspace.