Stinger Missiles: From Soviet Troubles to Russian Retaliation, Part 1
The man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) “FIM-92 Stinger” was developed as a successor to the FIM-43 Redeye, the first-generation MANPADS utilized by the US Army.
It improved and complemented the FIM-43 Redeye’s inadequate omnidirectional tracking ability, weak infrared countermeasures (IRCCM), and limited maneuverability under 3G conditions. It was officially named the FIM-92 in 1972 and has been in active service with the US military since 1978.
The first combat record was set during the Falklands War that broke out in 1982 when the British Army’s Special Air Service (SAS) shot down Argentina’s Air Force’s IA-58 Pucara attack aircraft and Puma helicopters.
With 400–900 units, the Afghan opposition, the Mujahideen, who were aided by the CIA’s covert intervention against the Soviet Union, shot down many Soviet transport helicopters, establishing it as a representative weapon that tormented the Soviet army.
The first combat record of the SAS, a British Army special unit
The 1987 release of the FIM-92C is distinguished using a reprogrammable microprocessor technology known as RMP, which increases the hit rate by concurrently capturing the distinct infrared and ultraviolet (UV) rays produced by the enemy target. The modified “FIM-92E RMP Block I” first emerged in 1995 with the capability to intercept small unmanned aircraft (UAV). The “FIM-92F” was also developed by updating the software in 2001.
Subsequently, the “FIM-92G” and “FIM-92H,” upgraded from the FIM-92D, were deployed in actual combat. The performance-enhanced “FIM-92J,” which utilized a proximity fuse instead of the existing hit-to-kill fuse to intercept small drones, and the “FIM-92K,” with added datalink functions, were also developed in succession.
Military experts have evaluated that this weapon system’s continued effectiveness, especially in the modern battlefield where cutting-edge weaponry is common, is demonstrated by the fact that it has been used in actual combat for more than 40 years despite constant improvements.
The “Mi-24 Hind” attack helicopter was deployed in conjunction with the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979 and became famous as the “Butcher of Afghanistan.” However, even the Mi-24 could not avoid a hard time in the Afghan War due to the emergence of an unexpected opponent. Even though the Mi-24 could withstand medium weapon attacks and had agile flight performance, the enemy that made it crumble in fear was the infantry’s portable surface-to-air missile, the FIM-92 Stinger.
The Mujahideen guerrillas received the Stingers and used this latest weapon for their immediate counterattacks. They achieved excellent results by shooting down not only the Mi-24 but also transport aircraft landing and taking off at Kabul Airport and fighter jets attacking the resistance. In the Afghan War, the Stinger was called the nemesis of the attack helicopter Mi-24.
At that time, the Mujahideen, even with no air force at all, achieved a fantastic record against the Soviet military using the Stingers, with a hit rate of 79% and a shoot-down rate of 33%. Recently, it has been reported that it shot down a subsonic cruise missile with a top speed of Mach 2.2 with a Stinger in Ukraine and even a Russian OTR-21 surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a terminal speed of Mach 5.3, once again demonstrating its capabilities.
The Stinger is an improved version of the FIM-43A Redeye, a revolutionary anti-aircraft weapon that adopted infrared guidance technology. However, there was a problem because the shooting angle was narrow, and the missiles could only be fired toward the aircraft’s rear. The FIM-92 Stinger was developed to improve this.
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