Under a $624 million contract awarded to Raytheon Missiles & Defense – a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies – last week, the defense contractor will be tasked with supplying the U.S. Army with 1,300 Stinger missiles.
Stingers are lightweight, self-contained missile systems meant for air defense. Rapidly deployable by troops on the ground, the missiles are capable of supersonic speed in the sky, making them agile tools. They are meant to take down both cruise missiles and aircraft – and given that the funding for the contract was pulled from the Ukraine Supplemental, they may soon be used by Ukrainian forces battling a Russian invasion.
“We’re aligned with the U.S. Army on a plan that ensures we fulfill our current foreign military sale order while replenishing Stingers provided to Ukraine and accelerating production,” Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense, said. “The funding will be used to enhance Stinger’s producibility in an effort to meet the urgent need for replenishment.”
The contract covers engineering support, test equipment, component modernization, accelerated production, and addressing obsolete technology. Money from the Ukraine Supplemental is earmarked for efforts to support Ukrainian defense forces.