POINT@AIR

History

POINT@AIR was unveiled by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C., on 12–14 October 2026. The system pairs an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with a compact tethered helium balloon to give ground forces a mobile, elevated view of low-flying drones, aircraft, and other targets.

The development was motivated in part by the vulnerability of fixed aerostat installations to drone attack. IAI executives noted that Hezbollah had targeted a large aerostat in northern Israel, and the smaller, relocatable design of POINT@AIR allows operators to move the system before adversaries can pinpoint and engage its position. The U.S. military’s earlier experience with the JLENS cruise missile defense aerostat programme, which was canceled after one of its balloons broke free from its mooring in Maryland in 2015 and drifted over Pennsylvania, also informed the design emphasis on rapid relocation.

Specifications

POINT@AIR is based on IAI’s ELM-2083 radar family. The original ELM-2083 is a larger L-band early-warning radar, also aerostat-mounted, derived from the Green Pine radar used in Israel’s Arrow missile defense system; ELTA Systems, IAI’s electronics subsidiary, has supplied it to several countries including India. POINT@AIR is a smaller, more mobile derivative of that family.

The radar steers its beam electronically in both azimuth and elevation and also rotates mechanically to provide 360-degree coverage. The full platform is approximately 70 metres (230 feet) in length and is designed to be redeployed to a new location within hours without permanent infrastructure. IAI stated at the unveiling that the system can support up to 30 days of continuous surveillance; formal endurance, operating altitude, detection range, crew size, and price specifications have not been officially released.

Operational Capabilities

IAI states that POINT@AIR can detect and track multiple aerial, maritime, and ground targets simultaneously, prioritize them according to operational requirements, and feed data to command-and-control and fire-control systems to support a shared operational picture. By lifting the radar above terrain obstructions and the Earth’s curvature, the system extends line of sight compared to ground-based radars, enabling earlier detection of low-flying targets that would otherwise remain hidden until close range.

Program Status

As of October 2026, POINT@AIR remains in the demonstration phase. IAI is working with US-based TCOM, the prime contractor for the U.S. Army’s aerostat platforms, to adjust the platform’s size and configuration. No customers have been announced and no operational deployments have been confirmed. IAI has indicated potential applications in homeland security missions and for U.S. military commands, including U.S. Central Command.