DoD Awards IAI Contract For Electro-Optically-Guided Missiles

The U.S. Dept. of Defense has awarded Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) a contract to develop and produce a new electro-optical-guided missile, reports the Israeli defense firm.

The Point Blank is a soldier-portable electro-optically guided missile designed to provide tactical units with an independent capability to increase lethality, the company said in a Thursday release.

The weapon can be carried in a soldier’s backpack, and hand-launched and operated by a single user. Point Blank weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and is 3 feet (0.9 m) long with a maximum altitude of 1,500 feet (475 m).

The missile enables tactical units to precisely strike a variety of targets in real time without the need for support, said IAI.

The first prototype is expected to be delivered in fiscal 2023 for operational testing and evaluation.