FIM-92 Stinger in Finnish Missile Firing Trials

09/09/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

Raytheon Missile Systems' FIM-92 Stinger ground-launched air defence missile has proved its worth during SHORAD (Very Short Range Air Defense System) tests conducted in Finland.

The Finnish SHORAD trials involved six combat troops who, in pairs, operated a trio of missile system tracking trainers. These systems allowed each gunner to follow and engage with a variety of airborne targets. These targets included a Finnish Air Force F-18C Hornet combat aircraft and a Finnish Army Aviation NH90 TTH tactical transport helicopter.

According to Raytheon, no other SHORAD missile can equal the FIM-92 Stinger's combat lethality, as showcased during numerous pasts tests and operational deployments.

FIM-92 Stinger Missile

Developed throughout the 1970s, the FIM-92 Stinger missile entered service in 1981. Capable of being launched from a multiplicity of platforms include man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), AH-64 Apache and Tiger attack helicopters and MQ-1 Predator UAVs, the Stinger is guided by an infrared homing system and has an effective range of three miles.

Combined, the world's numerous FIM-92 Stinger operators have achieved almost 300 combat engagements and achieved a hit rate of more than 90 per cent during the course of 1,500 trials.

Finnish Stinger Missile Trials

"The Stinger is best known for its Man-Portable Air-Defense System (MANPADS) variant, which gives the missile a surface-to-air capability, and these field trials prove that our competitors have yet to develop a MANPADS system that can truly outperform Stinger", Raytheon Missile Systems' Mark Nicol explained in a press release on the Finnish Stinger missile trials.

He continued: "We have taken a system that has proven itself time and time again in critical combat situations, and have continually evolved the technology. The result is a system that is proven and designed for today's warfighter in current and future conflicts."

Active since 1918, the Finnish Army has six components: infantry, field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, signals, engineers and materiel troops.

The FIM-92 Stinger is one of several missiles in the running to replace the Finnish Army's SA-18 SAMs. As such, it is effectively in competition with the MBDA Mistral, the Saab Bolide and others.