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

FROM GUNS TO MISSILES
that fired over 130 missiles, the Army authorized production
in 1978. Stinger reached the troops in February 1981. By
1985, Stinger was superseded by a version fitted with a more
advanced seeker, Passive Optical Seeker Technology. This system
has the added advantage of IFF and a range of 10 kilometers.
Production of a third improvement version, Reprogrammable
MicroProcessor, began in 1987. It features a removable
software module that can be upgraded. 68 The Stinger has superior
performance to the Redeye in speed (Mach 2.2 versus
Mach 1.6), range (4,800 meters versus 3,000 meters), and altitude
(3,800 meters versus 3,000 meters) (fig. 51). It also has
several capabilities absent in the Redeye: IFF on the launch
tube and sensor countermeasures to aircraft ECM. 69
Although designed as a man-portable system, the Army acquired
Stingers on a variety of platforms. First production
missiles of an air-to-air version went to the Army in mid-1986
and can be fitted to a number of Army helicopters. Another
Stinger application is Avenger (fig. 52). The ubiquitous High-
Figure 51. Stinger launch. The Stinger was the successor to the Redeye
missile. (Reprinted from Redstone Arsenal.)
102