Israel's Elbit speeds up race to fly military drones in civil airspace

An employee looks at a computer screen as he stands next to an Elbit Systems Ltd. Hermes 900 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the company's drone factory in Rehovot, Israel, June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Orel Cohen

REHOVOT, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems on Thursday unveiled a 1.6 tonne unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) designed to fly in airspace currently reserved for piloted civilian planes as a race heats up to deploy military drones outside combat zones.

The move came hours after a U.S. rival staged a landmark transatlantic demonstration flight, as arms firms vie to develop drones with flexibility to be used in civilian-controlled airspace - a drive that could spawn future technology for unmanned airliners.