Tethered Radar Balloon Offers Troops 30 Days of Nonstop Surveillance
The system uses a tethered helium balloon to spot low-flying drones and aircraft and feed data to command-and-control systems, IAI said.
- On Sunday, Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled POINT@AIR, a balloon-borne radar system, at the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington to provide ground forces mobile, elevated surveillance of low-flying drones.
- Based on the ELM-2083 radar family, the system elevates sensors above terrain to overcome line-of-sight limitations caused by hills, buildings, and the Earth's curvature, enabling Army forces to detect threats earlier than ground-based systems.
- The system combines Active Electronically Scanned Array technology with mechanical rotation to deliver 360-degree coverage and supports up to 30 days of continuous airborne operation while integrating with Command and Control networks.
- IAI designed the radar to address anti-drone defense needs, an area where Hezbollah exposed IDF weaknesses during the 2026 conflict, according to company statements, helping forces respond to unpredictable enemy attack vectors.
- The United States Army has historical experience with Aerostat surveillance in Iraq and Afghanistan, but previous efforts like the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System were canceled after a 2015 incident in Maryland.
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Israel Aerospace Industries introduced a radar system, which simultaneously tracks air, sea and land objects by transmitting the data collected to command centres.
Israel Aerospace Industries announced plans to demonstrate a tactical radar system based on a compact aerostat as part of the US Army Association's Washington exhibit. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will display a new tactical radar system at the US Army Association exhibition in Washington, D.C. Development is designed for long-range detection and continuous observation from the high-rise platform, transmitting Israel National News. The pack…
Israel brings a balloon-borne radar to the U.S. Army show
Israel Aerospace Industries will show a new radar carried by a small tethered balloon at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington this week, aimed at giving ground forces a mobile, elevated view of low-flying drones, aircraft and other targets. The system, called POINT@AIR, puts an active electronically scanned array radar on […]
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