TUCSON, Ariz. - Raytheon, an RTX business, and Diehl Defence have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-produce key elements of the Stinger missile in Europe. This agreement lays the groundwork for the extension of production for Stinger missiles at Diehl Defence as part of the company's growth plan.
Tom Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, said, "Stinger is the surface-to-air missile of choice for 24 countries, including Germany and nine other NATO members. We are seeing historically high demand for Stinger because of its unrivaled effectiveness and success against a variety of short-range threats."
The Stinger missile is a lightweight, combat-proven and self-contained air defense system deployed by ground troops against cruise missiles and aircraft.
Helmut Rauch, Diehl Defence CEO, said, "For Diehl Defence, relaunching production for Stinger missiles builds on our proven capabilities and expertise in that product range and fits seamlessly in our strong standing on the market for ground-based air defence systems."
Diehl Defence is assessing various options for increasing production capacity, both at existing sites and other locations.
Raytheon has produced and supported upgrades over the life of the program resulting in a highly accurate guidance and control system that provides an operational edge against targets.
