Finland purchasing 350 FIM-92 Stinger air defense missiles.

The U.S. State Department made a determination on December 1, approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Finland of FIM-92K Stinger Man-Portable missiles; Production Verification Flight Test (PVFT) FIM-92K Stinger Man-Portable missiles; and related equipment for an estimated cost of $380 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale.
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USMC Cpl. Toviah J. Viel fires an FIM-92 Stinger missile at Fort Greely, Alaska, on March 3, 2020, during the Arctic Edge exercise (Picture source: USMC/Lance Cpl. Elias Pimentel)

The Government of Finland has requested to buy three hundred fifty (350) FIM-92K Stinger Man-Portable missiles; and five (5) Production Verification Flight Test (PVFT) FIM-92K Stinger Man-Portable missiles. Also included is support equipment; production support, engineering and technical services; transportation services; and other related elements of program and logistics support. The total estimated cost is $380 million.

The principal contractors will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Lockheed. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Finland.

The FIM-92 Stinger operates as an infrared-homing surface-to-air missile (SAM). It can be adapted to fire from a wide variety of ground vehicles, and from helicopters as the Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS). It entered service in 1981 and is used by the armies of the United States and 30 other countries, including Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 24, 2022. It is principally manufactured by Raytheon Missiles & Defense and is produced under license by Airbus Defence and Space in Germany and by Roketsan in Turkey.

The FIM-92J is a Block I missile upgrade of the original FIM-92A to replace aging components to extend the service life by an additional 10 years. Upgrades include a proximity fuze warhead section, equipped with a target detection device to increase effectiveness against unmanned aerial vehicles, a new flight motor and gas generator cartridge, as well as new designs for the o-rings and integral desiccant cartridge. The FIM-92K is a variant of the FIM-92J designed to use a vehicle datalink rather than the missile's own seeker for targeting.