Raytheon plans to conduct the first integrated flight test of its Next‑Generation Short‑Range Interceptor (NGSRI) before the end of 2025, a milestone in the U.S. Army’s effort to replace the FIM‑92 Stinger. The NGSRI is being developed to extend engagement range, improve accuracy, and boost effectiveness against drones and low‑flying aircraft — while remaining compatible with existing launchers.
The NGSRI program began under the Army’s M‑SHORAD Increment 3 activity after Raytheon and Lockheed Martin won prototyping awards in March 2023. Army requirements call for better target acquisition, higher lethality, and a longer reach than legacy Stinger variants, yet the replacement must preserve the Stinger form factor so it can be launched from shoulder, tripod, and vehicle mounts. Program milestones target operational demonstrations in FY2026, a production decision in FY2027, and low‑rate initial production in 2028. The 2025 development budget is roughly $373.7 million under PEO Missiles and Space oversight.
Raytheon’s prototype completed ten subsystem demonstrations — covering seeker, motor, command launch assembly, warhead and more — and leveraged virtual reality demonstrators plus soldier feedback to refine launcher ergonomics and training concepts. Those activities prepared the design for the planned full‑system flight trials later this year.
Propulsion work centers on a highly‑loaded grain solid rocket motor developed with Northrop Grumman that extends burn time and energy without changing the missile’s outer dimensions. 2025 testing — ballistic motor firings, static tests and a ballistic flight demonstration — points to increased acceleration, speed and range versus conventional motors. Program materials suggest targets beyond Mach 3 and intercept ranges approaching 9 km, roughly doubling legacy Stinger engagement distance while keeping launcher compatibility.
Maintaining the Stinger’s dismounted and vehicle‑mounted options constrains candidate designs, so backward compatibility and producibility are priorities for Raytheon. The NGSRI is intended to work with Stinger Vehicle Universal Launchers on Stryker A1 M‑SHORAD Sgt. Stout vehicles and in shoulder‑launched roles. That reduces integration risk, limits new logistics and training burdens, and supports scalable fielding given projected Stryker acquisitions through 2031. Raytheon also emphasizes modular open‑systems architecture and advanced manufacturing to speed production and allow iterative upgrades.
Stinger sustainment continues while a successor is developed, because stocks were drawn down by training use and large transfers, including shipments to Ukraine. Rebuild and allied production expansion efforts are ongoing, but inventory pressure and the proliferation of small UAS motivated the Army’s push for a higher‑performance short‑range interceptor.
In short: the NGSRI aims to keep the Stinger’s portability and launcher compatibility while delivering substantially greater range, speed, and target discrimination against modern aerial threats. If integrated flight trials before year‑end succeed, M‑SHORAD units could gain a deeper, more resilient defensive layer in the coming years.
