Israel Aerospace Industries Debuts Compact Aerostat Radar at AUSA
Israel Aerospace Industries presented a new compact aerostat-mounted AESA radar called POINT@AIR at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in Washington. The system is designed to detect, track, and prioritize multiple air, sea, and ground targets and feed data into command-and-control networks. It adapts technology from the ELM-2083 radar family and can be moved without permanent infrastructure, though IAI did not disclose range, altitude, endurance, crew size, price, or customers.
POINT@AIR is a compact AESA radar carried by a tethered helium balloon. IAI says it can identify and rank air, sea, and ground tracks at once and pass them to command-and-control networks. It needs no permanent site and can accompany tactical formations.
Its lineage runs through the larger ELM-2083 L-band aerostat early-warning radar, itself linked to the Green Pine sensor used in Israel’s Arrow missile defense. ELTA previously sold that larger system to several nations, including India. IAI declined to release range, altitude, endurance, crew, price, or customer details.
If fielded, compact aerostat radars like POINT@AIR could give ground commanders earlier warning of low-altitude threats, potentially benefiting troops and nearby civilians. It may also shape procurement choices as armies seek mobile sensors that avoid fixed infrastructure. Because key performance details remain undisclosed, observers may wait for evidence on cost, endurance, and reliability before judging broader effects. Its impact on society may depend on deployment locations, data-sharing rules, and how communities view persistent aerial surveillance.