Stinger
Stinger system
Type	Manportable surface-to-air missile
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1981 - Present
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Falklands War, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Angolan Civil War, Kargil War
Production history
Designer	General Dynamics
Designed	1967
Manufacturer	Raytheon Missile Systems
Unit cost	US$38,000
Produced	1978
Variants	FIM-92A, FIM-92B, FIM-92C, FIM-92D, FIM-92G
Specifications (FIM-92 Stinger)
Weight	15. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving The Angolan Civil War began in Angola after the end of the war for independence from Portugal in 1975 The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Raytheon Missile Systems Company is a subsidiary of Raytheon Company. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) 2 kg
Length	1. 52 m
Diameter	70 mm
Crew	1
Effective range	4,800 meters (15,750 ft. )
Warhead weight	3 kg
Engine	Solid Rocket Motor
Guidance system	Infrared homing

The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and used by all the U. Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of Electromagnetic radiation in the Infrared Man-portable air-defense systems ( MANPADS) are shoulder-launched Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs Infrared homing refers to a passive missile guidance system which uses the emission from a target of Electromagnetic radiation in the Infrared A surface to air missile ( SAM) or ground-to-air missile ( GTAM) is a Missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy Aircraft The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. armed services, with whom it entered service in 1981. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The basic Stinger missile has to date been responsible for 270 confirmed kills of aircraft ^[1].

It is manufactured by Raytheon Missile Systems and also under license by EADS in Germany. Raytheon Missile Systems Company is a subsidiary of Raytheon Company. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV ( EADS) is a large European aerospace corporation formed by the merger on July 10, Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Raytheon designates the missile as a MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense System). Man-portable air-defense systems ( MANPADS) are shoulder-launched Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs It is used by the military of the United States and by 29 other countries. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Around 70,000 missiles have been produced.

Description

Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher

Light to carry and relatively easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator, although officially it requires two. A surface to air missile ( SAM) or ground-to-air missile ( GTAM) is a Missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy Aircraft The FIM-92B can attack aircraft at a range of up to 15,700 feet (4800 m) and at altitudes between 600 and 12,500 feet (180 and 3800 m). The missile can also be fired from the M-1097 Avenger vehicle and the M6 Linebacker, an air defense variant of the M2 Bradley IFV. The Avenger Air Defense System is an American military weapon system used by both the Army and the Marine Corps that provides mobile short-range The M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle are American Infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by The missile is also capable of being deployed from HMMWV Stinger rack, and can be used by airborne paratroopers. This article refers to the Military HMMWV not the civilian Hummer sold by General Motors The M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled A helicopter launched version exists called the ATAS or Air-to-Air Stinger. The AIM-92 Stinger or ATAS ( A ir T o A ir S tinger or ATAL is an Air-to-air missile developed from the shoulder-launched

The missile is 1. 52 m long and 70 mm in diameter with 10 cm fins. The missile itself weighs 10. 1 kg, while the missile with launcher weighs approximately 15. 2 kg (33. 5 pounds). The Stinger is launched by a small ejection motor that pushes it a safe distance from the operator before engaging the main solid-fuel two-stage motor which accelerates it to a maximum speed of Mach 2. 2 (750 m/s). The warhead is a 3 kg penetrating hit-to-kill warhead type with an impact fuse and a self-destruct timer. In an Explosive, Pyrotechnic device or military Munition, a fuse (or fuze) is the part of the device that initiates function

In order to fire the missile, a BCU (Battery Coolant Unit) must be inserted into the handguard. This shoots a stream of argon gas into the system, as well as a chemical energy charge that enables the acquisition indicators, and missile to get power. The batteries are somewhat sensitive to abuse, and only hold so much gas in them. Over time, and without proper maintenance, they are known to become unserviceable. The IFF antenna receives its power from a rechargeable battery. In Telecommunications, identification friend or foe (IFF is a Cryptographic identification System designed for command and control Guidance to the target is initially through proportional navigation and is then switched to another mode that directs the missile towards the target airframe instead of its exhaust plume. Proportional navigation (PN (Pro-Nav is a Guidance law used in some form or another by most homing air target Missiles.

There are three main variants in use; the Stinger basic, STINGER-Passive Optical Seeker Technique (POST), and STINGER-Reprogrammable Microprocessor (RMP).

The Stinger-RMP is so-called because of its ability to load a new set of software via a ROM inserted in the gripstock at the depot. If this download to the missile fails during power-up, basic functionality runs off the on-board ROM. The four-processor RMP has 4K of RAM for each processor; since the downloaded code runs from RAM, there isn't much space to spare, particularly for the processors dedicated to seeker input processing and target analysis. The RMP has a dual-detector seeker: IR and UV. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays This allows it to distinguish targets from countermeasures much better than the Redeye, which was IR-only. A (decoy flare is an aerial infrared countermeasure to counter an Infrared homing ("heat seeking" Surface-to-air missile (SAM or

History

National Guard soldiers training with a Stinger Missile

Initial work on the missile was begun by General Dynamics in 1967 as the Redeye II. General Dynamics Corporation ( is a defense conglomerate formed by Mergers and Divestitures and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest Defense contractor Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. It was accepted for further development by the U. S. Army in 1971 and designated FIM-92; the Stinger appellation was chosen in 1972. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Because of technical difficulties that dogged testing, the first shoulder launch was not until mid-1975. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Production of the FIM-92A began in 1978 to replace the FIM-43 Redeye. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye was a man-portable Surface-to-air missile system An improved Stinger with a new seeker, the FIM-92B, was produced from 1983 alongside the FIM-92A. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Production of both the A and B types ended in 1987 with around 16,000 missiles produced. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar)

The replacement FIM-92C had been developed from 1984 and production began in 1987. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The first examples were delivered to front-line units in 1989. Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) C-type missiles were fitted with a reprogrammable electronics system to allow for upgrades. The missiles which received a counter-measures upgrade were designated D and later upgrades to the D were designated G.

The FIM-92E or Block I was developed from 1992 and delivered from 1995 (certain sources state that the FIM-92D is also part of the Block I development). Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The main changes were again in the sensor and the software, improving the missile's performance against smaller and low-signature targets. A software upgrade in 2001 was designated F. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Block II development began in 1996 using a new focal plane array sensor to improve the missile's effectiveness in "high clutter" environments and increase the engagement range to about 25,000 feet (7,600 m). Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Production was scheduled for 2004, but Jane's reports that this may be on hold. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Since 1984 the Stinger has been issued to many US Navy warships for point defense, particularly in Middle Eastern waters. A warship is a Ship that is built and primarily intended for Combat. Point-defence (or point-defense; see spelling differences) is the defence of a single object or a limited area e The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. In fact, until it was decommissioned in September of 1993, the U. S. Navy actually had at least one dedicated Stinger Gunnery Detachment attached to Beachmaster Unit Two in Little Creek Virginia. The sailors of this detachment would deploy to various Carrier Battlegroups in teams of 2 to 4 sailors per ship as requested by Battle Group Commanders.

Service

The Stinger's combat debut occurred on 21 May 1982, during the Falklands War fought between Britain and Argentina. The Falklands War (Guerra de las Malvinas/Guerra del Atlántico Sur also called the Falklands Conflict/Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Soldiers of the British special forces had been clandestinely equipped with six missiles, although they had received very little instruction in their use. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance The sole SAS trooper who had received training on the system, and was due to train other troops, was killed in a helicopter crash on the 19 May. The Special Air Service ( SAS) is a Special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model and inspiration for the special ^[2] The very first Stinger fired in anger shot down an Argentine Pucará ground attack aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout ^[3] However, subsequent shots were ineffective due to British troops' unfamiliarity with the weapon's recharging procedure. The main MANPAD used by both sides during the Falklands War was the Blowpipe missile. Man-portable air-defense systems ( MANPADS) are shoulder-launched Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs The Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable Surface-to-air missile ( MANPADS) which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from

The CIA supplied nearly 500 Stingers (some sources claim 1500-2000) to the Mujahideen guerrillas fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan during Operation Cyclone, the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s, where they were used quite successfully. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all A Mujahid (Arabic ar مجاهد, literally "struggler" is a Muslim involved in a Jihad, id est fighting in a war or The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency program to arm the Afghan Mujahideen during the The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving After the 1989 Soviet withdrawal the U. S. government collected most of the Stingers it had delivered, but some of them found their way into Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. [1] Also, as part of its effort to overthrow Angola's government, the Reagan administration provided Stingers to UNITA anti-government fighters in the late 1980s. Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola ( União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola) is the second-largest Political party in Angola. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. In both cases, efforts to recover missiles after the end of hostilities proved incomplete. There has been speculation that the reason the Stinger has not been used in further attacks is because the batteries that are needed for the launcher to function have expired. However, Stinger missiles were used by the Pakistani Army in the Kargil War and shot down an Indian Air Force Mi-8 Helicopter and a MiG-21 aircraft, as well as damaging a Canberra reconnaissance aircraft. The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Pakistan now operates an improved local version of the Stinger missile and has begun phasing out its inventory of the original American made models.

After Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the United States attempted to buy back the Stinger missiles, with a 55 million dollar program to buy back around 300 missiles (USD 183,300 each)^[4]. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,

The U. S. inventory contains 13,400 missiles. The total cost of the program is $7,281,000,000. ^[5]

Operators

•  Bosnia and Herzegovina
•  Chile
•  Denmark
•  Egypt
•  Germany - Uses EADS-made Stingers
•  Greece
•  Israel
•  Italy
•  Iraq
•  Japan - Former user, now using Type 91
•  South Korea - Former user, now using KP-SAM and Mistral
•  Latvia
•  Lithuania
•  Myanmar
•  Netherlands
•  Norway
•  Pakistan
•  Bangladesh
•  Portugal
•  Republic of China (Taiwan): Republic of China Marine Corps
•  Slovenia
•  Spain
•  Switzerland - Uses license-made Stingers
•  Turkey
• UNITA
•  United Kingdom
•  United States

References

• Jane's Land-Based Air Defence 2005-2006, ISBN 0-7106-2697-5

See also

• FIM-43 Redeye, the missile the Stinger replaced in U. The General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye was a man-portable Surface-to-air missile system S. service.
• AIM-92 Stinger, Air-to-air Stinger. The AIM-92 Stinger or ATAS ( A ir T o A ir S tinger or ATAL is an Air-to-air missile developed from the shoulder-launched
• Anti-aircraft warfare
• M-1097 Avenger, the Stinger launch vehicle. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces The Avenger Air Defense System is an American military weapon system used by both the Army and the Marine Corps that provides mobile short-range
• M6 Linebacker M2 Bradley Air defense variant. The M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle are American Infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by
• United States Army Aviation and Missile Command
• List of crew served weapons of the US Armed Forces. The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM is the U This list contains weapons that are classified as crew-served, as the term is used in the United States Military.
• Igla, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union's equivalent missile. The 9K38 Igla (9К38 «Игла́» needle) is a Russian Soviet man-portable Infrared homing Surface-to-air missile (SAM Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991
• Mistral missile
• Starstreak - a British MANPADS

External links

• Raytheon (General Dynamics) FIM-92 Stinger - Designation Systems
• Defense Update: Stinger VSHORAD Missile
• FIM-92A Stinger Weapons System: RMP & Basic