Raytheon and Diehl Want to Expand Stinger Production in Europe

The American corporation Raytheon Technologies (RTX) has signed a memorandum with the German company Diehl Defence on the deployment of Stinger missile component production in Europe.

This is stated in the company’s official press release.

Diehl Defence says it is considering several options for setting up production facilities, both at existing sites and at new locations.

The agreement lays the foundation for expanding Stinger missile production at the company’s plants and fits into its strategic development plan.

“For Diehl Defence, the resumption of Stinger missile production builds on our proven capabilities and experience in this field and fits perfectly into our strong market position in ground-based air defense systems,” said Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence.

The components to be produced have not been specified, nor have the terms of the agreement.

Raytheon emphasizes that the expansion of global production of Stinger missiles is a response to the sharp increase in demand caused by Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

At the same time, experts note that this initiative may also indicate Raytheon’s desire to strengthen its position in the European market, where Stinger is gradually being replaced by local models.

These include the Polish Piorun, the Swedish RBS 70, the French Mistral 3, and the Italian FULGUR.

In addition to producing Stinger MANPADS, Raytheon plans to launch production of AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles in Belgium.

This initiative may be part of a broader plan for the joint purchase of NASAMS anti-aircraft missile systems: up to nine batteries are to be purchased for Belgium and one for Luxembourg from the Norwegian company Kongsberg in cooperation with the Netherlands.

In addition, the company plans to significantly increase production of AIM-9X Block II missiles to 2,500 per year.