JERUSALEM, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli state-run company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on Thursday unveiled a hand-launched electro-optical guided missile that can be retrieved in case the attack mission is abandoned.
The one-meter-long missile, weighing 6.8 kg, can be carried in a soldier's backpack. It is designed to be launched and operated by a single soldier and can take off and land vertically, said an IAI statement.
The missile, called Point Blank, allows tactical units of all sizes to attack a variety of targets in real-time with high precision and lethality, without the need for support, it added.
It can fly at altitudes of 50 to 500 meters, at a maximum speed of 288 km per hour, and can hover or loiter in the air while the target's type and exact location are confirmed ahead of an attack.
The missile can carry electro-optical systems to validate and collect surveillance information in real-time and can be equipped with a warhead to destroy the target.
The operating soldier will be able to safely retrieve the missile to his hands in case it was decided not to attack a target.
The IAI said that a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract has been awarded by the United States Department of Defense to develop and deliver an adapted version of the new missile. ■
