The U.S. Army has launched an effort to replace Stinger missiles with a next-generation interceptor for Short-Range Air Defense capability as the aging weapon system heads toward obsolescence, according to a solicitation recently posted to the government contracting website Sam.gov.
The U.S. Army says it wants to begin developing a replacement for the venerable Stinger short-range heat-seeking surface-to-air missile and actually begin testing at least one prototype design by the end of the 2023 Fiscal Year. The goal is then to get a finalized weapon into production no later than the 2027 Fiscal Year. This comes as the service has determined its existing Stinger to be increasingly obsolete and as its stockpile of these weapons is shrinking.
thedrive.com
A next-generation interceptor for SHORAD has long been in the works, as detailed in fiscal 2022 budget documents nearly a year ago. The service requested $1.5 million in FY22 to issue an RFI and conduct an industry day ahead of a competitive shoot-off, according to those budget documents.
Details about exactly what the Army might be looking for in a new missile are, so far, relatively limited, but the notice did provide some useful details: the system must be capable of defeating Rotary Wing (RW) aircraft, Group 2-3 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Fixed Wing (FW) ground attack aircraft with capabilities equal to or greater than the current Stinger missile (with Proximity Fuse capability). The system must provide improved target acquisition with increased lethality and ranges over current capability.
Stinger's origins go all the way back to 1967 with an Army requirement for a successor to the FIM-43 Redeye, its first-ever shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile system, also known as a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS). Active development of what was originally known as the Redeye II and redesignated FIM-92A began in 1971. After that, the Stinger was repeatedly upgraded and expanded its combat capabilities.
