The AIM-92 Stinger or ATAS (Air To Air Stinger) or ATAL is an air-to-air missile developed from the shoulder-launched FIM-92 Stinger system for use on helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache. The missile itself is identical to the shoulder-launched Stinger. A US Navy VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcat fighter launchers an AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile. ... Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher A Stinger System: Launcher, Missile and Battery The FIM-92 Stinger is a man portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and used by all the US armed services, with whom it entered... Boeing AH-64 Apache The Boeing IDS AH-64 Apache Helicopter is the US Armys principal attack helicopter, the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ...

History

The US Army has used the ATAS variant on its OH-58C Kiowa and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in the air-to-air role. OH-58 Kiowa OH-58D Kiowa Warrior The OH-58 Kiowa scout is a helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron. ... For other uses of Blackhawk/Black Hawk, see Black Hawk. ...

On the 19th of November 1996 a Stinger (ATAS) Block-1 missile was demonstrated was launched from a OH-58D piloted by CPT Bob Blanchett at Yuma Proving Ground and successfully destroyed a QUH-1 drone helicopter deploying countermeasures at a range greater than 4500 meters.

All Air-to-Air Stinger (ATAS) Block II missiles will be modified existing Stinger RMP missiles (FIM-92C). Block II will incoporate various improvements including a new starring IR focal plane array seeker, a new battery, and advanced signal processing capabilities. The seeker permits engagements of helicopters in clutter out to the 8 km maximum physical range of the missile, also improved accuracy and IRCCM capabilities, and will provide a full night capability. The Block II missile also supports seeker slaving : steering the missiles seeker off axis before launch to lock onto targets). This was first demonstrated on the 6th November 1997 at Yuma.

ATAL is an upgrade to the Air-to-Air Stinger launcher fielded on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and Blackhawk helicopters. In mid 2000 tests were carried out with the ATAL system mounted on the AH-64 Apache Longbow helicopter. Nine missiles were fired, eight which scored direct hits against simulated hovering helicopter targets in a clutter environment. The missiles where launched with the Longbow helicopter travelling at speeds from hovering to 136 knots, slide slips up to 30 knots, partial power descents, pull-up manoeuvres, hovering petal turns, push-over manoeuvres, and a 22-degree bank. Boeing AH-64 Apache The Boeing IDS AH-64 Apache Helicopter is the US Armys principal attack helicopter, the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ...

General characteristics (Block I)

As FIM-92A Stinger

• Length : 1.52 m (59.8 in.)
• Diameter : 70 mm (2.8 in.)
• Wingspan : 140 mm (5.5 in.)
• Launch weight : 16kg
• Guidance : Passive IR
• Warhead : 3kg HE blast fragmentation
• Propulsion : Solid propellant
• Speed : Mach 2.2 (750 m/s)
• Range : 200 m to (at least) 4.5 km

Models

• Block I
• Block II Maximum range 8 km against hovering targets.