The US Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded Raytheon a $51.9-million contract to produce and deliver Stinger air-to-air launchers.
The deal also covers ancillary support equipment training, associated engineering services for integration activities, and parts obsolescence management and engineering services.
This will support the US Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) and the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS), which both use the Stinger missile as the principal weapon for defense against low-altitude aerial threats.
Most of the work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and the rest at Diné, New Mexico.
It is scheduled for completion by September 2026.
Stinger Missile Program
The Stinger missile is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) fielded since 1981.
It is currently under a Service Life Extension Program to maintain effectiveness, with 1,900 missiles refurbished last year.
In May, the US Army launched the Red Wasp initiative to replace the Stinger’s traditional solid fuel rocket with solid fuel ramjet propulsion technology for enhanced range.
At the same time, the service is also making progress with its successor, the Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI).
RTX and Lockheed Martin were contracted in September 2023 to develop the NGSRI, which features improved speed, lethality, and jamming resistance.
More tests are scheduled this year.
