“Point Blank” VIDEO: Israel has unveiled a new type of kamikaze drone that can return to its carrier

Israel on Thursday unveiled a new kamikaze drone with some remarkable capabilities, including the ability to return to its operator if it fails to find a target or if the attack mission is aborted.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has released a video of the drone, saying it has received a multi-million dollar multi-year contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense to deliver “a new hybrid electro-optical guided missile”.

“The system addresses battlefield requirements to provide tactical units from group to battalion level with an organic and independent capability to increase their lethality.”

Although the IAI press release on Thursday calls the weapon a “hybrid missile,” video footage of it clearly shows that it functions as a kamikaze drone.

But unlike other kamikaze drones, the system developed by the Israeli arms company and called “Point Blank” can return to its operator and land vertically to be used again, as can be seen around the 1:00 mark of the footage presentation video.

What the new Israeli-developed ‘Point Blank’ drone can do

In addition to this novelty, IAI also points out that the unmanned aircraft is small enough to be carried in a soldier’s backpack and that it can attack a wide range of targets “with high precision and lethality” without the need for support from other systems .

It can be operated by a single soldier and can take off and land vertically, with the company saying it can even land on the soldier’s hand, like a falcon, although this is not shown in the video released Thursday.

According to the specifications published by the Israeli manufacturer, the “Point Blank” drone weighs just under 7 kilograms, is about one meter long and can fly at altitudes of over 450 meters with a maximum speed of 186 kilometers per hour.

The IAS also states that the unmanned aircraft may hover in the air above a target until its exact nature or position is confirmed before an attack.

Also unlike other kamikaze drones, it is equipped with electro-optical surveillance systems to be able to gather information in real time.

IAI says it will supply the first prototypes to the Israeli Ministry of Defense this year.