US Army initiates plan to replace Stingers with next-gen interceptor

The U.S. Army has launched an effort to replace Stinger missiles with a next-generation interceptor for Short-Range Air Defense capability as the aging weapon system heads toward obsolescence, according to a solicitation recently posted to the government contracting website Sam.gov.

The request for information to industry for a new surface-to-air missile for the Army’s SHORAD system comes as the Pentagon has been sending Javelin and Stinger missiles to Ukraine to help it fight the ongoing Russian invasion. But even as the Army considers that version of the Stinger obsolete, senior defense officials are discussing with industry how production might be ramped up.

A next-generation interceptor for SHORAD has long been in the works, as detailed in fiscal 2022 budget documents nearly a year ago. The service requested $1.5 million in FY22 to issue an RFI and conduct an industry day ahead of a competitive shoot-off, according to those budget documents.

The plan is to award a contract in the second quarter of FY23, the documents note, with design, development, prototyping and performance assessment ongoing through the fourth quarter of FY28.

Stinger can be fired from a shoulder-launched system, but the Army rapidly fielded a Stryker-based SHORAD system equipped with Stinger missiles to Europe last year in response to an urgent request in theater. The Army is preparing to field a complete Stryker-based SHORAD battalion by the end of 2022.

Source: Defensenews