Taiwan to receive 500 Stinger missiles and 178 launchers from the US — Taipei Times

Taiwan is expected to receive 500 man-portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and 178 launchers from the United States by the end of the year. This will be the first batch under a planned two-stage acquisition, an unnamed defense official told Taipei Times.

Distribution among units

In total, Taiwan plans to acquire 2,621 Stinger missiles and 763 launchers. According to military documents, the ground forces will be assigned 2,235 missiles and 657 launchers for the defense of Taiwan’s main island and outlying islands.

The navy is to receive 295 missiles and 85 launchers for the Marine Corps and certain surface ships that lack sufficient air defense capabilities. Another 91 missiles and 21 launchers are planned to be transferred to the military police, which is responsible for defending Taipei and the surrounding region.

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Use of Stingers

The United States also separately delivered a batch of Stingers to Taiwan as part of a defense assistance package. According to the source, these systems have been seen with the military police over the past two years. Military police personnel tested Stingers during live-fire exercises and used them in drills involving Taipei Metro stations and the Wanban Bridge.

In August, the Marine Corps used four M109 assault boats armed with Stinger systems and Javelin anti-tank guided missiles during asymmetric coastal defense drills. The Stinger is a man-portable “fire-and-forget” missile designed primarily to engage aircraft. The system weighs 15.7 kg; under ideal conditions, its range can reach 8 km, although its practical range is usually up to 4.8 km.

The modern version of the missile is equipped with a dual-band infrared and ultraviolet seeker designed to counter aircraft flares.