Photo Credit: Courtesy of IAI.
On January 19, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled an under-development hand-launched missile dubbed “Point Blank”.
Point Blank was reportedly designed to allow tactical units ranging in size from small tactical teams to battalion level, to attack a variety of targets in real-time with great precision and high lethality, without the need for support.
The missile, which can be carried in a backpack, is operated by a single soldier. It can take off from and land vertically back to, the soldier’s hand.
According to IAI, the missile weighs about 6.8 kg, is about 90 centimeters long, and can fly at altitudes above 460 meters with a maximum speed of 286 kilometers per hour. The Israeli defense giant released footage showing a successful test fire of the missile, which utilizes an optical seeker.
IAI was awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) of the United States Department of Defense to rapidly develop and deliver “ROC-X,” a version of the Point Blank that meets U.S. Army requirements to increase the organic precision strike lethality and survivability of small tactical teams.
The company will provide the first prototypes and training to DoD for Operational Testing and Evaluation within Fiscal Year 2023.
“Point Blank joins IAI’s family of missiles, to provide ground-based tactical forces with more precise capabilities to undertake offensive operations, especially against short-lived targets,” IAI’s Executive VP of Systems, Missiles and Space Group, Guy Bar Lev, said. “We wish to thank the IWTSD for its support and cooperation in the field of precision munitions, confirming, yet again, the importance of tactical missiles to the modern army. IAI continues to develop and improve a wide range of offensive systems which provide precision operational solutions, and stands firmly to support our U.S. customers.”
Point Blank represents a unique hydride between a missile and a loitering munition, integrating key features from both concepts.
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