FIM-92 Stinger

The FIM-92 Stinger is the U.S. man-portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile, first fielded in 1981 and most famous for Mujahideen employment against Soviet aircraft in Afghanistan. The missile can be fired from a shoulder launcher or from vehicle-mounted mounts such as the Avenger system and the M-SHORAD Stryker.

Production of Stinger largely ended in the early 2000s as stockpiles were deemed sufficient, but Ukrainian consumption from 2022 onward emptied those reserves. The Department of War funded a Stinger production restart and is simultaneously developing a next-generation MANPADS replacement, with an expected first production unit later in the decade.

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