The US Army has refurbished 1,900 Stinger missiles once deemed “unserviceable.”
The effort saved approximately $50,000 per round and added 10 years to the anti-aircraft missile’s service life.
Moreover, the missile has been equipped with new technology to deal with unmanned aerial systems, “a threat that Stinger was not originally designed for decades ago,” the US Army said.
The Stinger modernization effort includes “running them through a myriad of tests, breaking down the missile, replacing critical aging components, and inserting new technology to extend the shelf life 10 years.”
Ukraine War Intensified Effort
The effort began in 2017 at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant (MCAAP) as part of the Stinger Service Life Extension Program.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified the effort, with the service approving funds for the refurbishment of 2,700 obsolete missiles in the summer of 2022 to bolster the active inventory.
Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space, and MCAAP were funded for the task, with an early estimate of refurbishing 1,100 missiles (approximately 40 percent).
MCAAP, however, has exceeded the early estimate with the refurbishment of 70 percent of the missiles four months ahead of the proposed 16-month schedule.
Stinger Developments
Meanwhile, the US Army has awarded Raytheon a contract to produce 1,300 Stingers to replenish the missiles sent to Ukraine.
The service is also soliciting developers for a potential replacement of the man-portable missiles, first inducted in the early 1980s.