Army Official Expects to Produce Next-Generation Stinger Missiles in Five Years

The U.S. Army is looking at a five-year development, qualification and production timetable for a new Stinger missile to replace the service’s short-range air defense system, an Army official said. 

Brig. Gen. Frank Lozano, the service’s program executive officer of missiles and space and a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, said in a Defense News interview that the replacement program will have two phases, with the development stage and the production of a “very small quantity” taking up the first two years. According to Lozano, the Army will conduct a “fly-off” to end the first phase, DefenseNews reported.

RTX and Lockheed Martin won the Army contracts in September to competitively develop the Stinger replacement, envisioned to be jamming-resilient, faster and more accurate in hitting elusive targets like drones. 

If RTX and Lockheed Martin’s missiles do well in the first phase fly-off, both will go into the rapid prototyping second phase, wherein tweaks and improvements can lead to several prototypes, Lozano noted. Another fly-off will be conducted to select the final vendor moving into production.

The next-generation interceptors will have to be compatible with two Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher systems on the Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense system turret and fit into a man-portable system, Lozano said.