Shoulder-fired Stinger missiles are in high demand in Ukraine, where they have successfully deterred Russian air attacks. However, US supplies have dwindled, and developing more anti-aircraft weapons confronts substantial challenges.

According to discussions with US officials and defence corporations, challenges include ramping up production, the US’s reluctance to shift important manufacturing capacity to decades-old technology, and defence firms’ fears of being stranded with unwanted armaments as the Ukraine war winds down.

While US troops have limited use for the current supply of Stingers — a lightweight, self-contained weapon that can be deployed quickly to defend against helicopters, aeroplanes, drones, and even cruise missiles — the US must keep them on hand while developing the next generation of a “man-portable air defence system.”

“We were going to divest ourselves of Stingers right before Ukraine attacked,” a congressional source claimed. According to a Pentagon officer and a congressional source, Pentagon officials are concerned about a “dwindling” excess.