Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air ...

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
duction stopped in 1974 after the delivery of more than 33,000
systems. About 10 countries purchased the system, while small
numbers were sent to such hot spots as Chad, Nicaragua, Somalia,
and Sudan. 63 The Redeye gave a man on the ground
unprecedented ability to defend himself against aircraft—the
power to down an aircraft with a single round. But, while the
missile blazed a trail for other man-portable, infrared-guided
missiles, Redeye’s development record was mixed. As one writer
noted, the Redeye required “a protracted development programme,
and has never proved entirely successful.” 64 It should
be emphasized that these first-generation man-portable systems
were limited by their short range, lack of identification
friend or foe capability, vulnerability to simple countermeasures,
low speed aircraft, and agility against only tail-chase engagements.
Nevertheless, they did give attacking pilots considerable
reason for pause. 65
The developers made several efforts to adapt the Redeye for
more diverse roles. In the late 1960s, the Air Force investigated
using the missile in an air-to-air mode (Redeye airlaunched
missile [RAM]). It also looked at helicopter-launched
Redeyes directed at both enemy helicopters and trucks. These
missiles were successfully flight-tested but dropped because
of launch restrictions, cost, and nonavailability. The Navy also
saw the possibility of using Redeyes to defend small craft and
in 1966 conducted Redeye firing from 85-foot boats. Further
tests through 1969 were successful, but no firm military requirement
emerged. 66
Meanwhile, the Army sought a more capable weapon to
handle the threat postulated for the 1970s. Specifically, it was
looking for a system transportable by a two-man team and
weighing no more than 30 pounds to defeat 660-knot aircraft
using infrared and ECM at ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 meters.
The ground service also wanted the ability to identify the aircraft.
In 1971, the Army selected the improved Redeye—Redeye
II or Stinger—for this role. It looked like a Redeye, but it was
a much more sophisticated and higher-performing missile
system. Compared to the Redeye, it featured an improved
seeker, warhead, and fuzing. However, it also was larger (10
inches longer) and heavier (three pounds). 67 Following tests
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