Israel Unveils New Balloon-Mounted Radar to Detect Drones
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled POINT AIR, a new radar system mounted on a balloon, at the AUSA 2026 exhibition in Washington. The system uses an aerostat to elevate the radar, enabling it to detect threats like drones and missiles more effectively by overcoming ground obstructions. POINT AIR provides a 360-degree view, automatically prioritizes threats, and can move with military units.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled the new balloon-mounted POINT AIR radar system at AUSA 2026 in Washington.
- The radar is mounted on a helium-filled aerostat to achieve higher altitudes for better threat detection.
- POINT AIR is designed to detect difficult targets like drones and cruise missiles more effectively.
- The system offers a 360-degree view and automatically sorts threats by danger level.
- It is described as a mobile early warning system that can accompany advancing military units.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has unveiled a new radar system, codenamed POINT AIR, designed to enhance early detection of aerial and ground threats. The system, presented at the AUSA 2026 exhibition in Washington, utilizes a radar mounted on a helium-filled aerostat, or balloon.
The aerostat can be raised to significant altitudes, allowing the radar to overcome ground-based obstructions and achieve a clearer view of the airspace and terrain. This elevated position is expected to improve the early detection of difficult-to-spot targets, such as drones and cruise missiles. The radar itself features an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna, which scans the environment while the platform mechanically rotates, providing a 360-degree field of view.
IAI describes POINT AIR as a mobile early warning system that does not require fixed infrastructure and can move with forward units. The system automatically sorts detected threats by their level of danger and transmits this information to command and control systems. According to IAI, engineers rethought the concept of aerostat-based reconnaissance rather than simply scaling down existing designs. The company previously reported that Israel is assisting Saudi Arabia in defending against Houthi attacks, primarily through intelligence sharing.
