American defense industry giant Raytheon was awarded a contract from the U.S. Army for Stinger surface-to-air missile system production.
The contract, from Army Contracting Command and announced on Monday, is valued at more than $320 million.
Per the contract, work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2026.
Raytheon says the Stinger missile is a lightweight, self-contained air defense system that can be rapidly deployed by ground troops. Combat proven in four major conflicts, the weapon has more than 270 fixed- and rotary-wing intercepts to its credit.
Stinger is deployed in the man-portable (MANPADS) role and on the Army’s Avenger, Linebacker, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, on Army OH-58 D and Special Operations Forces (SOF) helicopters, U.S. Navy special operation ships and USMC Avenger and Light Armored Vehicle-Air Defense (LAV-AD) systems.
Raytheon’s Stinger weapon system has been combat proven to provide superior air defense for today’s highly mobile forces. Its unique fire-and- forget technology ensures high survivability and maximum lethality.
In 2019, the U.S. Army began retrofitting its Stinger missiles with proximity fuzes, which allow missiles to destroy unmanned airborne systems with direct hits or by detonating near them. A pair of Stinger missiles intercepted two drones using proximity fuzes during an Army test in 2017.
The modified missile offers ground troops better defense against small, agile threats.