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Mission

Provide mobile, short-range air defenseprotection against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles,low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicoptors to divisions, armoredcavalry regiments, separate brigades, and corps/theater air defensebrigades.

Entered Army Service

1989

Description and Specifications

Thesystem consists of a gyro-stabilized air defense turret mounted on amodified heavy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Theturret has two Stinger missile launcher pods, each capable of firing upto 4 fire-and-forget infrared/ultraviolet guided missiles in rapidsuccession. Avenger can be linked to the Forward Area Air DefenseCommand, Control, Communications and Intelligence (FAAD C3I) system,which permits external radar tracks and messages to be passed to thefire unit to alert and cue the gunner. Using the newly developedSlew-to-Cue subsystem, the commander or gunner can select a FAAD C3Ireported target for engagement from a display, then, by a singlepush-button, initiate an automatic slew in azimuth.

• Weapons: 8 ready-to-fire Stinger missiles; 1 .50-caliber machine gun
• Sensors: Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensor/laser range finder/optical sight
• Length: 16 ft 3 in
• Weight: 8,600 lbs
• Crew: 2

Manufacturer

Boeing (Huntsville, AL); AM General (South Bend, IN)