Avenger

Mission

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

Description and Specifications

The system consists of a gyro-stabilized air defense turret mounted on a modified heavy High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The turret has two Stinger missile launcher pods, each capable of firing up to 4 fire-and-forget infrared/ultraviolet guided missiles in rapid succession. Avenger can be linked to the Forward Area Air Defense Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (FAAD C3I) system, which permits external radar tracks and messages to be passed to the fire unit to alert and cue the gunner. Using the newly developed Slew-to-Cue subsystem, the commander or gunner can select a FAAD C3I reported target for engagement from a display, then, by a single push-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

• Entered Army Service: 1989
• Manufacturer: Boeing; AM General