RTX’s Raytheon is aiming to double its Stinger surface-to-air missile production by collaborating with European defense firms.
Building on a memorandum of understanding signed in August 2025 to produce Stinger missiles in Europe, Raytheon has tasked Diehl Defence with producing the missile’s guidance section and sourcing related subcomponents from suppliers across Europe.
Raytheon is also working with Dutch suppliers to manufacture additional major Stinger assemblies, while final assembly, testing, and completion will take place in the Netherlands.
The expanded production capacity aims to meet the demand of European militaries for the combat-proven missile, supporting future work with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency.
According to Raytheon’s President of Land & Air Defense Systems, Tom Laliberty, the move “strengthens our industrial base and broadens our global network, ensuring our allies have reliable access to this critical air defense capability.”
Short-Range Air Defense
The FIM-92 Stinger is a lightweight, shoulder-fired missile deployed by ground troops to engage low-flying aircraft, like drones and helicopters.
First fielded by the US Army in 1981, the Stinger has seen a surge in demand since their combat success in Ukraine and the rising prominence of drone threats on the battlefield.
While Raytheon is scaling production of the man-portable air defense system, the US Army is also working on its potential successor, called the Next-Generation Short-Range Interceptor (NGSRI).
