The U.S. Army will open a competition to find a next-generation portable anti-aircraft weapon as it simultaneously restarts the Stinger production line to backfill munitions sent to Ukraine, an Army official said on Wednesday, July 27th.
The shoulder-fired anti-aircraft Stinger missiles made by Raytheon Technologies are in hot demand in Ukraine, where they have successfully stopped Russian assaults from the air, and in neighboring European countries which fear they may also need to beat back Russian forces.
“We’ll be producing Stinger missiles for some number of years, while also starting a new development program for the missile that follows it,” Doug Bush the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology told reporters.
In May, the Army awarded a contract worth $625 million to Raytheon for anti-aircraft Stinger missiles in order to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine.
Since February, the United States has shipped about 1,400 Stingers to Ukraine. U.S. allies also want to restock the weapons they shipped to Ukraine in recent months.
TYT Newsroom
