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1994-11-02
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992b
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The Stinger man-portable air defense missile was developed in the 1960s
as a much-needed replacement to the Redeye. The Stinger entered service
in 1980 after a long and somewhat troubled development. However, when it
was finally into production the FIM-92 proved itself a small yet potent weapon.
The Stinger is placed on the operator's shoulder and aimed at the target
through a simple optical sight. The launcher can send an interrogatory sig-
nal to check whether the target is an enemy, and includes a control gyro-
scope and a super-cooled infrared seeker. As soon as it has detected and
locked on to the target, the missile launches itself.
Newer improvements for the FIM-92 include a "two colour" seeker which is
highly sensitive to both infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths. This system
gives the weapon the ability to defeat electrical and optical countermeasures,
ensuring greater lethality.