Air-to-air Stinger will add firepower to India's new combat helicopters
TUCSON, Ariz., March 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indian Ministry of Defence has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to acquire Stinger air-to-air missiles made by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN). As part of the deal, India will receive 245 Stinger air-to-air missiles, along with launchers and engineering support.
"India joins nations around the globe who recognize that air-to-air Stinger can be a key component of attack and light attack helicopter mission configurations," said Duane Gooden, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. "Stinger significantly improves the ability of the aircraft to successfully perform today's missions while countering existing threats."
Combat-proven in four major conflicts, Stinger has more than 270 fixed- and rotary-wing intercepts to its credit. It is deployed in 19 nations and with all four U.S. military services.
India's Stinger acquisition is part of a $3.1 billion deal with the U.S. that includes combat helicopters, weapons, radars and electronic warfare suites.
About Stinger
The combination of supersonic speed, agility, highly accurate guidance and control system and lethal warhead gives Stinger the operational edge against all classes of helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, and fixed-wing aircraft. Stinger not only has a surface-to-air capability from land and sea, but also an air-to-air capability that can be integrated into most fixed- or rotary-wing platforms.