Stinger Missile:
NATO recently signed a nearly $700 million contract to have member countries produce more Stinger missiles.
- The FIM-92 Stinger is a man-portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS) that was designed and manufactured by the American Defense Industry.
- The system entered into service with the U.S. Army in 1981.
- Used currently by the S. armed forces and 29 other countries, it is manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems and under license by EADS in Germany.
- It was designed to provide air defense capabilities to the United States and allied troops when forward deployed and thus eliminate the immediate need for air support should an enemy aircraft threaten the troops.
- The missile is 1.52 m long and 70 mm in diameter, with 10 cm fins.
- It is lightweight.
- The missile and its launcher weigh about 15 kilograms. The launcher is reusable.
- It can be carried and fired by troops or mounted to a vehicle and used as a short-range defense against aircraft.
- It uses a passive infrared seeker. The infrared seeker can lock on to the heat the target is producing.
- It is a “fire-and-forget” weapon, meaning it requires no input from the gunner once it’s fired.
- It can hit targets flying as high as 11,500 feet (3,500 meters), and has a range of about 5 miles (8 kilometers).
