According to reports, the Biden administration has decided to send the Stringer Missiles as part of the military aid to Ukraine.
Soon Ukraine will hit back at the Russian helicopter attacks with Stringer anti-aircraft missiles which are being sent by the US. According to reports, the Biden administration has decided to send the Stringer Missiles as part of the military aid to Ukraine. These stinger missiles will help in boosting Ukraine’s air defence in case the Russian fighter aircraft start bombing the cities in that country. Going back in time, the US had sent stinger missiles to Afghanistan to end the erstwhile USSR’s presence there.
Interestingly, Russia has so far not deployed its fighter jets into the ongoing war in Ukraine.
More about Stringer Missiles
These are shoulder-fired missiles and hone on their target through infrared. These missiles help in making troops and insurgents more effective against helicopter gunships.
Based on the information in the public domain, these missiles seek infrared light (heat) which is produced by the engine of the aircraft/helicopter and these missiles track them by following the light. They have the capability to identify the UV shadow of the target and then use that identification to distinguish the real target from other heat producing objects.
This is a portable missile and can be shoulder-fired by a single person and is also popularly known as man-portable air defence system.
This missile can be fired from various positions including helicopters, ground vehicles, as well as airborne troops and has the capability to hit almost anything which is flying below 11,000 feet.
These Stinger missiles have also been used in other conflicts globally like Syrian Civil war, Sri Lankan Civil War as well as the Chechen war.
Countries sending missiles and other platforms to Ukraine
The Biden administration is also sending Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
Last Friday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had announced that the Defence Department has been authorized to send USD 350 military aid to Ukraine “to help defend itself from Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war.”
In a major shift in its policy, Germany which had previously refused to send any lethal aid to Ukraine has announced its plans to send 500 Stringer missiles as well as 1,000 anti-tank weapons.
The Netherlands also said that they will provide 200 stinger missiles.
Other European countries including Norway, Finland, and Sweden, have decided to send weapons to Ukraine in a major shift in their policies.
According to reports, once Ukraine is armed with the latest technology and weapons, this could provoke Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already made nuclear threats.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is also asking for more advanced systems like the Patriot anti-craft missiles from the US.
Look back
It was in 1979, when the USSR had entered Afghanistan. And to take down the helicopters and aircraft of the former USSR, the US armed the Mujahideen fighters with Stringer Missiles. In 1889, the USSR left Afghanistan and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US, at time started buying back the stringer missiles from Mujahideen fighters, who later founded the Taliban.