You Can Literally Throw This Guided Missile at a Van and Blow It Up

Our modern society has seen wars before, but, perhaps with the exception of the Iraq War, most of them were fought by advanced nations against far weaker adversaries, at least as far as the technological level goes. Ukraine’s fight against Russian invaders though opposes two equally advanced nations, with deadly consequences.

We’ve all seen how modern weapons (or other weaponized civilian technologies) can make short work of traditional tanks and other armored vehicles. We’ve witnessed Ukrainian-wielded HIMARS striking Russian ammunition depots from afar, but also Russian Kalibr indiscriminately striking the Ukrainians, somewhat diminishing the role of conventional artillery in the process.

But there is tech currently unavailable to either side that seems even crazier from certain perspectives, and if used in combat could have unexpected effects. Like say the Point Blank Weapon System.

Almost always when we talk about missiles we imagine pointy cylinders, smaller or larger, being launched from some sort of weapons platform: an airplane, a ship, a bomber, or some land-based vehicle. But if we told you Point Black is a type of missile that can literally be thrown at a target?

The weapon is the work of Israel-based defense contractor IAI. We’re talking about a crew in the business of making, among others, drones, autonomous systems, and space tech.

This week, they let the world in on the details of the Point Blank, described as a “hand-launched electro-optical VTOL missile.” That’s because the thing is a combination of a drone and a missile, small enough to be carried by a single soldier in his/her backpack.

It kind of looks like a Star Wars X-Wing fighter, with four small winglets extending away from the missile’s main body. The tips of the winglets are occupied by the rotors which allow it to move forward and keep aloft in hover mode.

The thing is capable of carrying a 2 kg payload (4.4 pounds) and transporting it to distances of up to 10 km (6.2 miles). It can stay in the air for up to 20 minutes, traveling at speeds of up to 288 kph (179 mph).

And it can strike a target “right between the eyes,” as the weapon’s maker says. IAI even released a couple of videos to prove that (both available below this text), showing how Point Black can be electro-optically guided to its intended target. In this case, an unsuspecting van.

It probably won’t be long until the weapon goes to fight wars. IAI says the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) already awarded it a “multi-million-dollar contract” to have Point Blanks made and delivered, with the first prototypes expected by the end of this fiscal year.