U.S. Army Advances Stinger Replacement With New Raytheon Short Range Interceptor Test.

Raytheon, an RTX business, confirmed it completed a new ballistic test of the US Army’s Next Generation Short Range Interceptor on February 2, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. The self funded test supports the Army’s effort to modernize man portable air defense as drones and low altitude threats continue to evolve.

Raytheon said on February 2, 2025 that the latest ballistic test of the Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) marked another technical milestone for the Army program intended to replace the aging Stinger missile. Conducted at the company’s Tucson facilities, the event focused on validating seeker performance against drone targets while confirming compatibility with a shoulder fired launcher, data that Raytheon says will feed directly into upcoming flight test demonstrations.
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NGSRI is positioned as a faster and higher-performing short-range interceptor than existing systems, optimized for modern aerial threats (Picture source: RTX)

The Stinger has remained a reference point for decades, but the battlefield has changed faster than the missile inventory. Small drones, loitering munitions, and low-cost reconnaissance platforms have created a dense threat layer that sits below the engagement comfort zone of many legacy systems. In that environment, the Army’s need is not only for a new missile, but for a credible, scalable interception option that can be deployed with infantry units, maneuver formations, and dispersed forces without imposing heavy logistics or complex training burdens.

Raytheon’s statement emphasizes two technical themes: seeker performance against drones and launcher flexibility. While the company does not disclose detailed seeker architecture, the claim that the interceptor can “track drone targets” points to the requirement to detect and maintain lock on small, low-signature objects that can present difficult kinematics and clutter challenges at low altitude. Unlike conventional aircraft targets, drones can be slow, can hover, and can fly unpredictable patterns. In practice, defeating them at short range requires a tight integration of seeker discrimination, guidance responsiveness, and a propulsion profile that provides enough energy for fast reaction engagements.

A second key detail is the missile’s ability to be fired from a man-portable launcher, with Raytheon also stating the weapon can be launched from vehicles. That dual-mode employment is not a marketing flourish: it is directly aligned with the Army’s operational reality, where Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) coverage must follow maneuver forces and protect both dismounted elements and vehicle columns. A missile that can be carried by infantry but also integrated on vehicle mounts can be allocated across formations more flexibly, and it reduces the need to field separate families of interceptors for different platforms.

The company notes that in 2025 it worked with Northrop Grumman to conduct multiple successful tests of Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) solid rocket motors. HLG is described as a solid propellant technology that delivers longer burn time and higher energy output than conventional solid rocket motors, enabling extended range compared to competing missile solutions. This is a meaningful design choice. At short range, engagement success is often decided by time-to-intercept and endgame energy. A longer burn profile can support sustained acceleration, improve reach against crossing targets, and preserve maneuver authority late in flight, which is especially relevant when engaging small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that may attempt abrupt course changes.

At the same time, the baseline Stinger capability provides a useful benchmark for understanding what NGSRI is meant to exceed. The FIM-92 Stinger is a man-portable air defense system using a passive infrared fire-and-forget seeker, and it is credited with a long operational record across multiple conflicts. In the technical data you provided, the missile reaches a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (around 750 m/s), measures 1.52 m in length, and weighs 10.1 kg for the missile alone (approximately 15.2 kg with launcher). Its engagement range is described as up to 4,800 m in the technical section, while the specifications table lists 1,000 to 8,000 m, and its engagement altitude appears between 3,000 and 3,800 m depending on the section. Later Stinger upgrades, including the FIM-92E and the FIM-92J, also illustrate how the system has been adapted over time to address smaller aerial targets such as drones, with the J variant notably incorporating a proximity fuze to improve effectiveness against unmanned platforms.

Raytheon also underlines modular system design and automated manufacturing as enablers of faster development and production. For NGSRI, industrial factors are strategic. U.S. and allied stockpiles of air defense interceptors are under pressure, and procurement timelines increasingly compete with operational urgency. Modularity can allow design updates without a full redesign cycle, while automated production can help stabilize output rates and reduce unit cost variability, both of which matter for a missile intended to be fielded widely rather than reserved for niche roles.

NGSRI is positioned as a faster and higher-performing short-range interceptor than existing systems, optimized for modern aerial threats. The tactical value lies in its ability to close the gap between non-kinetic counter-UAS options and heavier SHORAD and Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) assets. A man-portable interceptor provides immediate local defense, but its effect multiplies when paired with networked cueing and layered sensors, allowing the shooter to react quickly to tracks detected by other elements.

NGSRI reflects the return of short-range air defense as a core battlefield necessity rather than a specialist add-on. From Eastern Europe to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, low-altitude air threats are no longer exceptional, they are routine. If the U.S. successfully fields a Stinger replacement that is both more capable and manufacturable at scale, it strengthens not only American force protection but also the credibility of allied integrated air and missile defense architectures. That, in turn, raises the cost of coercive drone campaigns, narrows the operational space for reconnaissance and loitering munitions, and reinforces deterrence by making the “cheap air threat” less cheap in real wartime conditions.