ATAS AIM-92 Stinger

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	Weapon: ATAS AIM-92 Stinger Type: Air-to-Air Missile Country of Origin: United States Year Adopted: 1996 Overall Length (mm): 1520.0 Overall Length (in): 59.84 Weight (kg): 16.00 Weight (pounds): 35.27

The ATAS (Air-to-Air Stinger), officially designated AIM-92, is an air-launched adaptation of the widely used FIM-92 Stinger man-portable surface-to-air missile system. Developed in the 1980s by General Dynamics (later Raytheon), it was designed to provide light helicopters and other rotary-wing aircraft with a compact and effective air-to-air missile. The AIM-92 retained the Stinger's infrared homing seeker, allowing pilots to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles with fire-and-forget capability. It gave lightweight platforms a crucial defensive and offensive tool against aerial threats.

Production of the AIM-92 was more limited compared to its man-portable counterpart, with a few thousand missiles produced to meet U.S. and allied needs. The missile was primarily integrated on helicopters such as the AH-64 Apache, AH-1 Cobra, and UH-60 Black Hawk, mounted in pairs on specialized launchers. Though not as widespread as other air-to-air missile systems, the ATAS filled a vital niche by giving light aircraft the ability to operate in contested airspace without depending solely on ground-based air defense or fixed-wing escorts.

In service, the AIM-92 Stinger proved reliable and effective, though its role remained specialized due to its relatively short range compared to larger air-to-air weapons. It was fielded during the late Cold War and saw operational deployment with U.S. forces as well as select NATO and allied countries. While never as notorious as the shoulder-launched FIM-92, which gained fame in conflicts such as the Soviet-Afghan War, the AIM-92 remains significant as one of the few dedicated helicopter-borne air-to-air missiles, cementing its legacy as a versatile derivative of a highly successful weapon family.

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