fm 44-18-1 stinger team operations

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Field ManualNo. 44-18-1

*FM 44-18-1

HEADQUARTERSDEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY

Wash ing ton , D C, 31 D ecemb er 1984

S T I N G E R

TEAM OPERATIONS

* This field manual supersedes FM 44-18-1, 20 October 1980.

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DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.


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31 December 1984

DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTION: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.


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As part of the Army stand ardization p rogram, the termssquad and team may be changed to crew. When implementedby ARs, TOEs, etcetera, the terms will be used in subsequentchanges to th is revised pu blication.

When u sed in this pu blication, he, him, his, and menrepresent both the masculine and feminine genders unless other-wise stated.

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Preface

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance for the Stinger teamin support of air defense operations. It is also written to sup port the trainingof ind ividuals to function as m embers of a Stinger team.

When skilled individuals are molded into efficient, smooth-functioningteams, their capability to accomplish assigned missions is greatly increased.The effectiveness of Stinger varies directly with the individual skills of eachteam m ember an d the collective proficiency of each team . The key to both istraining.

This man ual focuses on the techniques and procedu res used by theStinger team to engage and destroy h ostile targets.

FM 44-18-1 consists of two parts:Part Idescribes the Stinger system and tells how to use the weapon to

shoot dow n aircraft. This part also describes how the team operates incombat.

Part IIdiscusses the means and methods of training soldiers to operatethe system.This ma nu al should be used w ith the system technical m anu al (TM

9-1425-429-12) which tells how the system functions and how to maintain it.Information found in the technical manual, such as that on maintenanceand emergency destruction procedures, is not repeated in this manual.

This is a comp anion man ua l to FM 44-18, which tells how Stinger w illbe employed at the platoon and section levels, along with other air defenseartillery (ADA) weap ons, as an integral part of the combined arms team .

The tactical doctrine and procedures contained in FM 44-18 will be oflittle use if the Stinger team cann ot effectively enga ge enem y aircraft. Itdoes little good to have the Stinger team properly positioned unless the teamchief and the gu nner, w orking together, can engag e and kill an enemy

aircraft when called up on to d o so. This requires training in engagementprocedures, as outlined in this field manual.The material contained in this field manu al is applicable to both

nuclear and non nu clear warfare withou t mod ification.Checklists show n on pages 8 thr ough 17 of Chapter 17, are recoin.

mend ed checklist formats. Those shown are sam ples for your gu idance.

Users of FM 44-18-1 are encouraged to subm it recommend ed changes orspecific comments to improve the publication. Comments should be keyedto the specific page an d line of text in wh ich th e change is recomm ended .Reasons should be pr ovided for each comment to insure und erstanding andcomplete evaluation. Comm ents should be prep ared on DA Form 2028(Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) and forwardeddirectly to:

CommandantUS Army Air D efense Artillery SchoolATTN : ATSA-DTP-EBFort Bliss , Texas 79916-7155.

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PART I

T H E S T I N G E R W E A P O N S Y S T E M

CHAPTER 1

System Description

The Stinger weapon is a man-portable, shoulder-fired,infrared radiation (IR) homing (heat-seeking), guided missilesystem. It requires no control from the gunner after firing.Stinger has an identification, friend or foe (IFF), subsystemwhich aids the gunner and team chief in identifying friendlyaircraft. Operations at night or in adverse weather conditions

are somewhat restricted by the gunners ability to see andidentify the target. Stinger provides short-range air defense formaneuver units and the less mobile combat support units. TheStinger system is designed to counter high-speed, low-level,grou nd attack aircraft. Stinger is also a lethal weapon againsthelicopter, observation, and transport aircraft.

CONTENTSPage Page

Ready-Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 Gripstock Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Missile-Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2 IFF Support Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7

IFF Subsystem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 Shipping and Storage Containers . . . . . . . . .1-9

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READY-ROUND

The Stinger m issile-rou nd consists of a weapon-round to provide prelaunch power toStinger missile sealed in a disposable launch the system, it becomes a ready-rou nd . Fortube assembly. The Stinger weapon-round is IFF capability, an IFF interrogator is con-

made up of a missile-round m ated to a separ- nected to th e gripstock assembly as illus-able gripstock assembly. When a battery/ - trated below.coolant un it (BCU) is inserted into the

MISSILE-ROUND

Major components that make up the missile are shown in the Stinger Missile-Round illustration.

The guidance section of the missile con- surfaces. The guidance assembly processessists of a guidance assembly, a control target IR and p rovides guidance command sassembly, a missile battery, and four control for the m issile dur ing flight. The seeker tracks

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the IR source automatically after the gyro isuncaged and du ring missile flight. The con-trol assembly converts the guidance com-

mands into movement of control surfaceswhich direct the flight of the missile. Themissile battery provides the in-flight powerfor the Stinger guided missile.

The w arhead section consists of a fuzeassembly and a qu antity of explosives, allwithin a cylindrical case. After the flightmotor ignites, the fuze arm s the w arhead.The fuze can detonate the warhead in twoways: by means of a low impact switch or bya hard target sensor. Should target interceptnot occur within 15-19 seconds after launch, aself-destruct circuit initiates warhead deto-nation. Safety features are included to insurethat th e missile is safe for shipp ing an dhandling.

The propu lsion for the missile is providedby a separable laun ch motor and a d ualthrust flight m otor.

The launch (eject) motor p rovid es initialthrust that ejects the missile from the lau nchtube. It allows the m issile to coast a safe dis-tance (about 9 meters/ 29 feet) from th e gunn erpr ior to ignition of the flight m otor. The

launch m otor is expended and separatedfrom the flight motor before the missile is outof the laun ch tube. The expended laun chmotor leaves the laun ch tube an d falls a safedistance forward of the gunner. Also, at sepa-ration, a lanyard attached to the laun chmotor pulls the shorting plug from the flightmotor ignition circuit, thus enabling the flightmotor.

The flight motor provides propulsion forthe m issile d ur ing flight. The flight m otorfires after the missile coasts for a safe dis-

tance from the gunner. Thrust for the flightmotor is provided in two phases: boost andsustain. Initially, both burn simultaneously.The boost phase rapidly accelerates the m is-

sile to its top speed . The boost phase ends, butthe sustain phase continues. The sustainph ase maintains the missile speed for a time

sufficient to complete the mission.The tail assembly of the Stinger missile

consists of four folding tailfins that provideroll and missile stability. Within the launchtube, the fins are in a folded p osition. As them issile leaves the laun ch tu be, the fins ar eerected by spring action and by the force gen-erated by missile spin, and th en locked intoplace.

The launch tube is a fiberglass tubewhich provides the main supp ort for all partsof the launcher. Both ends of the launch tube

are sealed with breakable disks. The IR win-dow (front disk) is transpar ent to IR. Boththe IR window and the blowou t disk (rear)break when the missile is fired. A desiccantcartridge\ hum idity indicator on the launchtube indicates wh ether moisture has enteredthe tube.

*The protective cover assemblies should be retained for possible usein the event it becomes necessary to back pack weapons withoutthe gripstock assemblies attached.

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IFF SUBSYSTEM

Stinger is equipped with an IFF subsys- tile aircraft (see Hostile Criteria, chapter 4).tem to aid in the identification of aircraft. The IFF components are shown in the illus-The IFF sytem classifies aircraft as either tration and are described in the following

friendly or unknown. It does not identify hos- paragraphs.

The gun ner initiates the IFF sequence by with Mark X or Mark XII transpon ders w illpressing the IFF INTERROGATE switch on autom atically d ecode if the interrogator isthe gripstock assembly. Once the gun ner program med w ith Modes 4 and 3. Mode 3 is

issues a challenge, the rest of the sequ ence is built into the interrogator; however, if duringautomatic. The IFF interrogator, attached to progra mm ing the Mode 4 position is used ,the gu nners belt, sends a coded challenge Mode 3 (Mark X) will not be challenged un til(via an IFF antenna) to the aircraft. Aircraft the 2 or 4 days of Mode 4 coded have expired .

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The aircrafts transponder then prepares andsends a coded reply. The reply is received bythe Stinger IFF antenna and is rou ted to theinterrogator for d ecoding. The interrogatorconverts the reply into an audible tone which

is then routed via the interconnecting cableto the gu nner as a friend ly tone. If the air-crafts transp ond er sends an incorrect replyto the IFF challenge, the rep ly is processed bythe IFF system into an unknow n tone. Add i-tionally, aircraft not equipped with the trans-ponders w ill not reply to the challenge, andthis is also interpreted into an unknown tone.The gunner hears the friendly or unknow ntone in his right earphon e immed iately afterchallenging the aircraft. The tones are further

GRIPSTOCKThe separate grip stock assembly con-

tains all the necessary circuits and assem-blies that allow the gunner to interrogate air-craft and to prepare and launch missiles. Thegripstock is attached to and removed from alaunch tu be by m eans of a latch. Located on

described in chapter 4.

The IFF challenge is coded in either acomplex, cryp to secure Mode 4 form or asimpler Mode 3 form. All US combat aircraftand helicopters are equipped with trans-pond ers to provide friendly Mode 4 and 3 re-plies. H owever, some aircraft operating inthe combat zone, to include US comm ercialaircraft and some aircraft belonging to ou rallies, are not capable of prov iding friend lyMode 4 replies. They can only provide friendlyMode 3 replies. Thus, since the Mode 4 code issecure, a friendly Mode 4 reply is considered atrue friend rep ly. A friendly Mod e 3 reply isconsidered only as a possible friend reply.

ASSEMBLYthe gripstock assembly are th e safety andactuator device, UNCAGING switch, firingtrigger, IFF antenn a assem bly, IFF INTER-ROGATE switch, IFF interrogato r conn ec-tor, and BCU receptacle (see illustrationbelow).

The antenna assembly folds into a holder receiving coded replies. After a missile is

on th e right side of the gr ipstock assembly fired , the separable gripstock assembly iswhen not in use. When it is deployed and the removed from the launch tube assembly forinterrogator is connected to the gripstock, it reuse. The separable gripstock assembly canis cap able of interrogating aircraft and be reused until failure.

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The BCU is used to energize the wea-pons electrical circuits and to cool the IRdetector in the missiles seeker prior to launch.It contains a thermal battery and pressurizedargon gas coolant. Prior to use, the BCU is

inserted into the BCU receptacle and tight-ened one-quarter turn. It is activated whenthe safety and actuator d evice on the grip-stock is pressed forward, outward , and d own-

ward (until a click is heard) and then released.Once activated, the BCU supplies electricalpow er and seeker coolant to the w eapon for 45seconds or until missile launch. The BCU isnot reusable after it is activated. Either tw o

or three BCUs are supplied with each weapon-round and missile-round (depending on yearof issue).

IFF SUPPORT EQUIPMENT

Sup port equipm ent for the IFF system is and mu st be safeguarded as outlined in ARavailable at section headquarters. This equip- 380-40. The interrogator (specifically, thement includes a programmer/ battery charger reply evaluator module within the interroga-AN/ GSX-1, comp uter KIR-lA/ TSEC (with tor) is also classified CON FIDENTIAL andpower supply model ZAC A/ 1), and tw o code prop er security measures for it must be taken.

changing keys KIK-18/ TSEC. The comp uter An IFF subsystem training set is availableand code chang ing keys (wh en set with clas- for training purposes and is described insified code) are classified CON FIDENTIAL, chapter 13.

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The programm er/ battery charger pro-gram s the IFF interrogator and charges theinterrogator batteries. Each function m ay be

done separately or both may be d one at thesame time. Section headquarters personnelnormally program an d recharge the interro-gator and battery. A brief description of eachfunction follows. The -10 operators manualand the KAM225C/ TSEC may be consultedfor more detailed interrogator programmingand battery charging procedu res. Also, thecode book (AKAK) contains coded key num-bers and instructions for d estruction of thecode book. The code book is kept at custod iallevel. Custod ians w ill extract an d annotatethe code tables with the effective dates to

support the situation.

BATTERY CHARGING

The battery charger can charge u p to sixinterrogator batteries at one time. It takes aminimu m of 4 hours to fully charge the bat-teries. Additional charge time will not hurtthe batteries. A freshly charged battery isinstalled in the interrogator prior toprogramming.

INTERROGATOR PROGRAMM ING

After a charged battery is installed, theIFF interrogator is manu ally pr ogram medfor 4 days of operation. The cod e chan gingkey is used to insert the proper Mode 4 codesinto the computer (Mode 3 codes are alreadybuilt into the interrogator). The program merprovides the means for extracting the Mode 4codes from the computer and inserting theminto the interrogator.

Either one of two program s is selected byoperating a function switch on the progr am-mer. For either program, a 4-day countdown

period is started in the interrogator by th eprogrammer. At the end of the 4-day period,an automatic time clock stops. The interroga-tor switches to Mod e 3 operation an d con-

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tinues operating in Mode 3 until the batteriesare discharged or until the interrogator isreprogrammed.

In the Mode 4/ 3 position (the normal set-ting used for programming), the interrogatoris programmed to interrogate in Modes 4 and3. Initial interrogation is made in Mode 4. Ifthere is no Mode 4 reply by the aircraft or thereply is incorrect, the interrogator au tomati-cally switches to Mode 3 and interrogatesagain.

In the Mode 4 position, the interrogator isprogramm ed to interrogate in Mod e 4 only.The interrogator will not automatically inter-rogate in Mod e 3 after an incorrect Mode 4

reply. Certain situations may require that theinterrogator be program med for Mode 4 onlyoperation. Tactical stand ing op erating p ro-cedures (TSOP) dictate where the interroga-tors will be programmed in this matter.

Programm ing is done every 2 or 3 days,dep end ing up on th e tactical situation. Theinterrogator may be programmed

By having each team tu rn in its interroga-tor to section headq uarters every 3 d ays orless. It can be exchanged for another, ifavailable, or it can be program med and then

returned to the team.

By h aving th e section head quar ters visiteach team every 3 days to program theinterrogator.

By u sing spar e interrogators. These can beprogramm ed at section headqu arters, takento the teams, and exchanged there. The teamsinterrogator would then be taken to sectionheadqu arters, programmed, and held foranother team exchange. The exchange canbe done by liaison visits. For furth er informa-

tion on how to set the code changer key andload the comp uter, refer to Limited Mainte-nance Man uals KIR-lA/ TSEC; KII-lA/TSEC; and KAM 225C/ SEC.


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SELF-CHECKAnother function of the programmer is to with a known friendly aircraft having an

self-check the interrogator after data transfer. operational and correctly coded Mode 4 trans-An audio signal confirms that the interroga- ponder. The friendly aircraft is interrogated

tor is operational and has accepted the pro- to verify that the interrogators Mode 4 codesgram selected by the programm er. An ad di- are correct.tional test should be made by coord inating

SHIPPING AND STORAGE CONTAINERS

The following p aragrap hs d escribe the shipp ing and storage containers for the Stingerweapon system.

MISSILE-ROUND CONTAINER

This container is a wooden box which provides adequate protection for onemissile-roun d an d tw o or three BCUs du ring shipp ing and storage. It alsocontains one set of ear plugs. These items, in a cardboard box, are wrapped in asealed barrier bag, with d esiccant, for protection against the environment. Ahu midity indicator is enclosed in the bag to indicate moisture content. The bag isinside a fiber-board liner which is inside the wooden box. Two of these boxes,containing missile-rounds, are issued to each team as the remaining part oftheir basic load. As round s are expended , the gunner simp ly opens a missile-round container, removes the missile round, mates the gripstock assembly fromthe expended round to the new m issile round , and installs a BCU. He then has anew ready-round to use, if needed. Empty missile-round containers and dun-nage are kept to m aintain the shap e of the load in the trailer un til resupp ly. Atthis time, the empty containers are replaced with full containers.

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WEAPON-ROUND CONTAINERThis container is an aluminum box which provides environmental protec-

tion for one w eapon roun d and several BCUs during shipp ing and storage. Insideeach container is one set of ear plu gs. The container is equipp ed w ith fourlatches, hand les for tw o-man carry, a p ressure relief valve, hum idity indicator,

and a BCU storage area (for either three or five BCUs). Four of these containerswith w eapons are issued to each team as part of its basic load. The containerswill be reused.

READY RACKA container is converted to a ready rack by releasing the latches which make

the read y roun d (a weapon -round with BCU installed) readily accessible. Whenused as a ready rack, the closed container p rovides limited en vironmen talprotection for the ready round. The ready rack setup helps provide the capabilityfor a gunner to open the container, remove, shoulder, and prepare the weaponfor engagement within 10 seconds.

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TRANSPORT HARNESS

The four weapon-round and two missile-round containers are securedwithin th e M416 1/ 4-ton trailer by a nylon webbing assem bly called a tra nsport

harn ess. A strap ru ns Lengthw ise over the center of the 1/ 4-ton cargo trailer andfastens to either end of the trailer by strap fasteners. This strap passes throughtwo more straps which connect to the sides of the trailer. The quick-releasebuckles allow immediate access to the weapons. Another strap passes throughthe first three straps and runs completely around the outside of the top threecontainers.

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IFF INTERROG ATOR CO NTAIN ER

This fiberglass container stores the IFF interrogator, battery, and intercon-necting cable. The container is not p ressurized, but it d oes contain a pressurerelief valve to release any pressure build-up within the container.

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CHAPTER 2

Weapon Handl ing

Upon receipt of a Stinger w eapon-roun d from the amm un i-tion supply point (ASP), it must be checked to be sure it issuitable for firing. The weapon should be removed from theshipping and storage container and inspected in accordancew ith (IAW) the services u pon receipt checks, wh ich are foundin TM 9-1425-429-12. This manual does not cover preventivemaintenance checks and services (PMCS). However, this chap-ter does contain an abbreviated set of weapon checks whichm ay be mad e und er field cond itions w hen the time and tacticalsituation permit. Such a time may be at (or near) the ASP orw hen converting a missile-round to a ready-round . In add ition,this chapter describes weapon handling and safety precau-tions which must be followed by Stinger gunners to preventinjury to personnel and damage to equipment.

STINGER HANDLING PROCEDURES

When the Stinger team first receives a The Stinger weapon-round and IFF inter-weapon, the markings on the container (case) rogator containers are sealed to prevent environ-shou ld be checked to be su re that it contains mental damage. Before either case is opened,the proper weapon. Yellow squares, on two the p ressure relief valve shou ld be p resseddiagonally opp osite corners on th e case and with th e finger. When the r ushing noise (ifyellow data markings, indicate it contains a any) stops, the internal p ressure of the case islive round.

Containers for trainers are marked withblue colored squares for the tracking head

CONTENTS

trainer (THT) and bronze for the field han -

Page

dling tra iner (FHT). In addition, the data Stinger Handling Procdures. . . . . . . . . . . .2-1markings are white and these containers Weapon Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2

have the w ord INERT on the top of the Safety Precautions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

case.

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the same as the p ressure outside the case. Themissile-round container does not have a pres-sure relief valve.

When out of its container, the weap onshould be rested carefully on its side. Do notstand the w eapon on end . Be sure that thelaunch tube has the proper color markingsfour l-inch yellow squares. If it does not,return the trainer to the ASP and exchan ge

for a weap on-round .

WEAPON

When Stinger w eapon s are issued , andsufficient time is not av ailable to perform allthe checks listed in the technical manual, theteam chief and gu nner must, as a minimum ,make the checks listed on th e following p ages.This does notmean that the other checkslisted in TM 9-1425-429-12 shou ld be ov er-looked, if time permits.

FULL CHECKS

Und er field conditions, and if the tacticalsituation allows, full checks should be made

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While the gu nner is w alking, he shouldcarry the weap on by p lacing the carryingsling over his shoulder. The weapon shouldbe carried horizontally at a slight angle. Thesling should be tight enough to prevent theweapon from swinging.

The protective covers (BCU receptaclefront-end and IFF connector caps) should notbe removed until preparing to fire or whileinspecting the weapon.

Stinger equipment and trainer markings

are in TM 9-1425-429-12 and TM 9-6920-429-12.

CHECKS

on a daily basis. Checks should be made attimes when th e team is in a red uced state ofalert. These checks are especially importantfor those weapons which have been outside oftheir containers and exposed to bad weather.Fu1l checks are found in TM 9-1425-429-12.

N ote: Althoug h sun light norm ally willnot cause dam age to the seeker, care shouldbe taken to keep an uncovered seeker pointedaway from the sun.


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CRITICAL CHECKS

A well-thought-out and organized proce-dure for checking the Stinger weap on-roundwill insure that it can be fired when it isneeded. If any of the items listed are defective,then the component w hich it belongs to isconsidered notready/ available.

MISSILE-ROUND

Missile-round critical checks are as fol-lows (see Stinger Weapon-Round illustration):

Check the blowout disk 1 to insure that itis notcracked or broken.

Check the laun ch motor squ ib leads 2 toinsure that they are notdam aged or broken.(Do notremove the ad hesive cover; just runyour fingers along the wires.)

Check the launch tube 3, w hile you aredoing your other checks, to insure that it isnotcracked or broken.

Check the color in the humidity indicator4 window. If tan, replace at once with agreen d esiccant cartridge. Do notuse thelaunch tube for 24 hou rs. If the ind icatorturns tan again within that 24-hour period,there is too much moisture in the launch tube.Turn the tube into the ASP.

Remove the front cover and inspect the IRwindow 5 to insure tha t it is clean an d notscratched, broken or cracked. If the w indowneeds cleaning, use lens cleaning tissue. (Seeparagraph 3-5 of TM 9-1425-429-12.)

Check the ran ge ring 6 to insure that it isnotloose or defective.

Check the rear sight reticle 7 to insurethat it is notloose or d efective.

If the p aint seals on the screws holdingthe range ring or rear sight reticle to the sight

assembly are broken, assum e that they havebeen tampered with and do notuse the launchtube until boresight has been verified.

Check the two acquisition ind icatorsand wires (see illustration below) to insuthat they are notdamaged.

GRIPSTOCK ASSEMBLY

Before doing these checks, check to seea BCU is installed. If a BCU is installed, dnotinspect the gripstock assembly. Do nremove the BCU. The following checks wbe done du ring weapon firing:

Check the safety and actuator device 9 bpressing and releasing the lever. A clic

should be heard an d the lever shou ld retuto the normal position.

Check the uncaging switch 10, in threpositions (center and both ends), by pressinand releasing the switch. A click should bheard each time and the switch should returto the caged position.

Check the firing trigger 11 by squeezinand releasing the trigger. A click should b

heard and the trigger shou ld return to thnormal position.

Check that the latch mechanism 12 holdthe gripstock assembly securely to the launctube.

BATTERY/COOLANT UNIT

The following are BCU critical check(check all BCUs

13):

Check the color of the heat-sensitive indcator. It shou ld be p ink. If not, discard thBCU.

Check the holes over the burst d isc diapram. If the silver foil has been ru ptu red, dcard the BCU.

Note: Do notremove an installed BCU to dthe following checks.

Check the rubber cap over the needle insure that it has notbeen punctured. If sth BCU l b d i


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heck the needle without removing theer cap to insure that it is notbent. Do notmpt to straighten a bent needle; instead,ard th e BCU.

heck the BCU housing to insure that is iscracked. If so, discard th e BCU.

e: Weapon mating procedures are out-d in TM 9-1425-429-12.


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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

During annual service practice firing, combat conditions, these safety distances forthere shou ld be no p ersonnel closer to a firing personnel and equipment may not always bepoint than 50 meters (164 feet). Under combat feasible. Damag e to radio equip men t maycond itions, per sonn el within 15 meter s (50 resu lt if it is within the backblast area.feet) of the w eapon r un a high r isk of being Always inform the unit that you are support-injured by flying g lass and debris. The team ing of the noise and backblast safety hazards.chief should be close to the gu nners side toinsure that he is not endangered by the wea- Stinger firing range requiremen ts forpons backblast. Allow at least 5 meters (16 surface danger zon es are described in (SNF)feet) safety d istance from equipm ent. Under FM 44-1A.

Additional safety measures to be ob- WARNINGserved a re as follows:

Permanent d eafness wil l result i f per-Fire only from a stand ing position. sonnel are exposed to more than two fir-

Wear ear protectors, helmet, and flack ings. Proper hearing p rotection m ust b ejacket when firing. Personnel with in 125 worn!

meters (about 400 feet) should also wear ear Use the plastic eyeshield on the weaponprotectors. sight.

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DO not fire at an angle greater than 65.The flying d ebris caused by the missile back-blast presents a hazard to the gunner if thisangle is exceeded or if the launch tu be iswithin 30 inches of the ground.

Always sup erelevate. By su perelevating,you make u se of a built-in, 10 degree anglethat compensates for missile drop during the

coast p hase.Do not discard a used BCU into dry brush

or grass or n ear flamm able materials.

Before inserting the BCU, make certainthat the safety and actuator device is in theSAFE position. The Stinger weapon is ship-ped with a cap covering the BCU receptacle.The cap should be kept in p lace un til justprior to BCU insertion. Remove the recepta-cle cap by tu rning it counterclockwise. Placeit in the BCU container found in the shipping

and storage container for use at another time.You can also place the cap on some con-venient location of the bod y (pocket, insideshirt, etcetera). Insert a BCU into the recep-tacle and tur n it clockw ise until it locks inplace.

The case of the BCU gets extremely hot(400

oF) 3 to 5 minutes after activation and

remains too hot to tou ch for approximately 30minu tes. Do not grab the BCU except by theheat-insulated cap. Remove th e BCU imm e-diately after firing.

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CHAPTER 3

Firing the Stinger

This chapter describes the steps required to operate andfire the Stinger weap on. It d escribes how the gunner preparesthe w eapon for firing an d all subsequ ent steps of w eapon op er-ation throu gh target d estruction. If the firing sequence is inter-rupted for any reason, the actions taken to reacquire the target

and complete the firing sequence are also discussed. TheStinger gunner, as well as the team chief, must have a firmun derstand ing of the basics of weap on op eration p rior to con-ducting an engagement.

TARGET ENGAGEMENT PROCEDURE

Prior to engaging targets, the Stingerweapon mu st be readied for action. As a start-

ing point, assume that the Stinger team is inposition with its basic load of weapons. Fourof the weapon s should have BCUs installed.These weapons are in the metal containers/ready racks on th e team tr ailer. The IFF withinterconnecting cable is worn on the equip-ment belt or slung by a strap. The other end ofthe cable is clipped to the jacket. The weaponis readied for firing by p erforming the follow-ing steps:

Open the weapon-round container andremove the weapon.

Check to be sur e a BCU is in p lace. Placethe weapon on the right shoulder, graspingthe pistol grip with the right hand to providesupport.

Unfold the antenna w ith the left hand .

Remove the front end cap w ith the lefthand.

With the left hand, raise and lock the sightassembly into position.

With the left hand, insert the IFF inter-connecting cable into the gripstock.

Move the left hand forward and grasp theUNCAGING switch but d o not p ress theswitch.

CONTENTSPage

Target Engagement Procedure .. . . . . . . . .3-1

IFF Interrogation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2

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IFF INTERROGATION

When the target is visually detected,point the laun cher toward the target, sightover the sight assembly, and then look

throu gh th e peep sight. Next, position thetarget image in the center of the range ring.Challenge the aircraft if it has not alreadybeen identified. (Chapter 4 discusses when tochallenge and und er what conditions.)

Listen for the IFF response. IFFresponses have the following m eanings:

Many beeps mean an u nknown target.

Two beeps m ean a p ositive friend (Mode4).

One beep means a possible friend (Mode

3). NO beep means a malfunction.

Depend ing up on the IFF response andthe ru les of engagement, either disengage orproceed to engage the target.

TRACKING AND RANGINGTHE TARGET

Track the targ et by keeping it in therange ring. The stance and up per bod y ared etermined by the aircrafts direction offlight. The stance requires that the left foot be

placed d irectly toward the aircraft and th ebody be leaned slightly forward . Then th etechnique of fire applicable to the type of air-craft being engaged is ap plied. Target track-ing occurs p rior to w eapon activation an dcontinu es throughout the engagem entsequence. Target tracking is further dis-cussed in chapter 6.

WEAPON ACTIVATION

Activate the weapon as soon as required

by the firing doctrine. Firing doctrine is dis-cussed in chap ter 6. Weapon activationoccurs when the safety and actuator device isoperated. Press the d evice forward, outw ard,

3-2

and dow n w ith the right thumb until a click isheard. This activates the BCU. Then, releasethe safety and actuator d evice. Weapon

war mu p occurs w ithin a period of 3 to 5seconds, during which time certain compo-nents are brought up to the mechanical andelectrical conditions required for systemoperation. Gyro spin-up noise, which indi-cates the system is becoming operational,should be heard.

IR ACQUISITION/DISCRIMINATION

The Stinger missile seeker is sensitive torad iations in th e infrared frequency spec-

trum and uses these radiations from thetarget as the sou rce to gu ide itself to targetintercept. After a target has been visuallyacquired and tentatively iden tified, the gun-ner m ust track the target to enable the missileto lock on the ta rget IR. The IR acquisitionsignal is electron ically processed and p res-ented to the gunner as an audible signal. Theaudible signal clarity and intensity is directlyrelated to seeker a cquisition of the aircraft.The gunner m ust d iscern the aud io signal assoon as possible to permit early engagementof incoming aircraft. This requires the gun ner

to hear low level signals in contrast to back-ground noise.

Nature of Infrared RadiationInfrared is the band of wavelengths in

the electromagnetic frequency spectrum justbelow visible light (see Electromagnetic Spec-trum illustration). All substances radiate IRenergy, the amount depending largely ontheir temperature. IR energy has propertiessimilar to light; that is, it travels in a straight

line and at the same sp eed as light. The mis-sile senses IR emitted by a target by op ticallyfocusing th is energy on the surface of an infra-red detector in the missile seeker system. The


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detector cell is cooled by the coolant in th e prod uced by the weapon wh ich inform theBCU. When the seeker acquires the IR energy gunn er that the target has been detected.emitted by a target, acquisition signals are

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Atmospheric Condit ionsThe atmosphere is not completely trans-

par ent to IR. Certain gases in the atmo-sphere, primarily carbon dioxide and watervapor, absorb energy in the IR frequencyspectrum. Because the amount of carbondioxide in the air is fairly constant, its effecton detection range is consistent and need notbe considered by the gu nn er. Water vaporcontent varies widely w ith geograph ic loca-tion and local weather cond itions. The sunsIR is also reflected from objects, causingthese objects to become secondary sources ofbackground radiation (false targets). Typicalsecond ary sou rces are bodies of water, bare

hillsides, and wh ite clouds. Some sou rces ofsecondary background radiation are show nin Background Radiations illustration.

The Stinger IR seeker can d iscriminatebetween radiation from a small point source,such as th e tailpipe of a jet, and large back-ground sources, such as clouds and terrain.With the exception of the sun, the engineexhaust or tailpipe of the target is usually thesmallest and hottest object in the environ-ment and , therefore, will be tracked by themissile seeker.

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ACQUISITION

When the target provides sufficient IR tothe seeker, an acquisition signal is generated.This signal indicates that the seeker hasacquired th e target. Tw o conditions are re-qu ired for the m issile seeker to acqu ire thetargets IR. The w eapon m ust be activatedand pointed at the target and the IR from thetarget mu st be strong enou gh to activate theacquisition ind icator circuits.

Listen for distinct acquisition tone (anddiscriminate between target and background,if necessary). If the w eapon is aim ed aw ayfrom the target when the gyro is caged, thetone should decrease.

UNCAGING

After insuring that the seeker hasacquired the aircraft, press the UNCAGINGswitch with the thumb, hold it in, and con-tinue to track the aircraft. After u ncaging,the IR tone u sually gets steadier and louder.

This lets the gunner know that the seeker haslocked onto the aircraft and is tracking it. Ifthe tone does not get louder u pon u ncaging,release the UNCAGING switch and continueto track the aircraft in the range r ing,allowing it to get closer. Then pr ess theUNCAGING switch again.

If the IR tone is weak or d istorted, theseeker may be locking on th e backgroundinstead of the target. When target IR cannotbe acquired, or when trying to separate targetIR tone from other tones (because of thebackground radiation), sweeping the targetor the figure eight (8) method should be u sed.

When th e target is low on the horizon,

sweep th e target looking throu gh the frontsight ring. Sw ing the w eapon in U-shap edmovements through the target until the IRtone gets stronger. A clear tone shou ld bereceived w hen th e aircraft enters the rangering on the sweep (see illustration below).

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When th e target is farther above the ing un til the IR tone from the target getshorizon, use the figure 8 method. Move the strong enou gh to lock on to. Alwa ys verifyweap on, using the target as a starting point, tone, when a target is near a background IRand make tw o loops as in a figure 8. If IR source, by one of these two method s before

still cannot be acquired, keep figure eight- uncaging the gyro.

SUPERELEVATIO N AN D LEAD

Superelevation is the elevation angle Lead is the angle between th e point of aimthat is ad ded to the m issile line of sight. This and the target. Right or left lead is requ iredangle compensates for the effects of gravity for all targets except those fixed-wing targetson th e missile pr ior to flight motor ignition. directly incoming or outgoing.

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The following explains in words and figures how to place the targetwithin the rear sight reticle prior to firing.

ADDING SUPER ELEVATION

First, to superelevate, raise the front of theweapon A.

Then, move the aircraft from the range ringB to either th e left, center, or right low er reticlesC, D, or E.

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RIGHT LEAD INDUCED (FIXED-WING)

All fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters corn-ing from the left, or slightly from th e/eft, areplaced in the leftreticle C.

INCOMING/OUTGOING (FIXED-WING)

All fixed-wing aircraft d irectly incoming oroutgoing are placed in the centerreticle D.

LEFT LEAD IN D UCED (FIXED-WIN G )

All fixed-w ing aircraft and helicopters com -ing from th e right, or slightly from th e right, ar eplaced in the rightreticle E.

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LEFT LEAD INDUCED(HELICOPTERS AND HOVERING VTOL AIRCRAFT)

Directly incoming/ outgoing or hoveringhelicopters an d vertical take-off and landing(VTOL) aircraft are p laced in th e /eftlead reticle.Placing an incoming/ outgoing or hovering heli-copter in the right lead reticle is acceptable, butnot recommended.

FIRING

Before pressing the firing trigger, makesure that IR tone can still be heard. While stillpressing the UN CAGING switch, squeezeand hold th e firing trigger. Keep tracking thetarget until the missile lanuches. Release thetrigger and un caging switch 3 second s afterlaunch. When firing, hold your breath untilyou release the trigger so as to avoid inhalingtoxic fumes. If the exhaust plume visibly per-sists at your p osition, move aw ay from theplum e before breathing again (reference TM9-1425-429-12).

Post Fire Proced u res

Post firing procedures include thefollowing:

Remove the expended BCU from the grip-stock within 3 minutes to prevent damage tothe BCU receptacle.

WARNING

The BCU becomes extremely h ot follow-ing activation. Grasp it only b y the h eat-insulated cap when you remove it.

Do n ot point the top of the BCU toward

the skin, as high-pressure gas may still beescaping. Do not h and le the used BCUfor 30 minutes after it has been rem oved.

Remove the IFF cable by pulling straightdown on the quick-release loop attached tothe IFF cable connector.

Close the IFF antenn a.

Place the expended w eapon on the ground(or back in its container, with its sightassembly and IFF assembly closed). Whenthe tactical situation perm its, remove th egripstock assembly from the expended launchtube. It can be reu sed on another missile-round. The launch tube will be destroyed at aconvenient time.

Leave the firing site quickly to avoid firefrom the enemy.

Hangfire and MisfireA hangfire is a delay in the functioning

of a weapon-round. It can last up to severalminutes. A misfire is a complete failure tofire. If a m issile does not fire, the follow ingsteps should be taken:

Continue to track the target for an addi-tional 3 to 5 seconds, keeping th e firing

trigger and un caging sw itch d epressed. If,after that time the missile has not ejected,release the firing trigger and un cagingswitch. Remove the BCU.

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Place the w eapon-round on the ground (orplace in rack during annual service practice).Both ends shou ld be pointed aw ay from per-sonnel and th e front end should be elevated(approximately 20). Leave the firing site

withou t p assing in front of, over, or behindthe weapon.

Mark the defective weapons location andthen notify the Explosive Ordnance Disposal(EOD) unit.

A dud is a missile whose flight motordoes not ignite. It is ejected from the launchtube assembly, travels a short distance, thenfalls to the gr oun d . In th is case, also, mark

the location an d then call the EOD unit.Remember the missile is classified and shouldnot be left alone.

WARNINGFor a h angfire, misfire, or dud missile,personn el should evacuate the areaaround the m issile for a distance of notless than 1,200 feet. The m issile shou ldbe guarded an d k ept und er observationand should notbe app roached for atleast 3 hours.

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CHAPTER 4

Aircraft Detection

To successfully accomplish an engagement, the Stingerteam m ust be proficient in d etecting and identifying aircraft.This chapter focuses primarily on the methods and techniquesused in detecting aircraft. Because the identification functionis an integral part of the engagem ent sequen ce, it is discussed,where appropriate. However, it is not discussed in detail. Air-

craft recognition training is covered in FM 44-30. FM 44-18 tellshow to employ the Stinger missile system, including how toapply rules of engagement, which include hostile criteria. Alsocovered are the various w eapon control statuses (WCS) and th eprocedures to follow in making the decision on whether or notto fire at an aircraft.

VISUAL DETECTION

The first step in a Stinger engagem ent isvisual d etection of the target. This may bedone by either member of the team. A Stingerteam may be warned of app roaching aircraftby the forward area alerting rad ar (FAAR)system or the early warn ing broadcast net.The Stinger team receives the warning on theFM receiver on the target alert data displayset (TADDS) or on the R-442 auxiliary re-ceiver. In any case, the target location mustbe made known to the gunner. When warningof the app roach of unkn ow n aircraft is re-ceived, the Stinger team can narrow its searchsector to the genera l direction from w hich theaircraft is coming. The ran ge at w hich air-craft may be detected will vary due to severalcircumstances. The following are some cir-cumstances which w ill affect aircraftdetection:

Terrain masking.

Aircraft chara cteristics.

Meteorological conditions.Visual acuity.

Search sector

C O N T E N T S

P a g e

V i s u a l D e t e c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 1

H o w t o S e a r c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

W h e r e t o S e a r c h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 6A i r c r a f t I n t e r r o g a t i o n . . . . . . . . 4 - 6

A i r c r a f t I d e n t i f i c a t i o n . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 8

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TERRAIN M ASKING

Since Stinger gunners are on the ground,the local terrain will influence the distance atwhich low-altitude aircraft will unmask; thatis, not be hidd en behind a hill or other fea-ture. Terrain mask shou ld be kept in m indwhen selecting a site.

AIRCRAFT CHARACTERISTICS

The main features of an aircraft thataffect detection r ange ar e

Size. The larger the target, the fartherawa y it can be detected. Ap parent aircraftsize varies with the typ e of aircraft and theaspect from w hich it is viewed. A jet fighterflying a course directly toward an observer

shows a small profile and can get quite closeto the observer before it is detected. The sameaircraft on a crossing course has a muchlarger profile; therefore, it can be detected at agreater range.

Color. The color of an aircraft affects thedegree that the aircraft contrasts with thebackground . Some jet aircraft have a smoketrail that can be used as an aid in detection atlong ranges.

Speed. Aircraft speed affects visual detec-tion of aircraft. Detection ran ge d ecreases astarget speed increases.

Altitude. Aircraft flying at altitudes of 150to 1,200 feet (46 to 366 meters) above thegroun d are d etected at longer ranges than

those flying above 1,200 feet or low er th an150 feet.

METEOROLOGICAL COND ITIONSRain, snow, dust, fog, smoke, heat shim-

mer, and h aze tend to reduce visibility and sotend to reduce the range of visual detection ofaircraft.

VISUAL ACUITY

Observers are requ ired to d etect, recog-nize, and identify small objects at longranges. Therefore, they m ust have good eye-sight. Their eyes shou ld be r ested p eriodi-cally (about every 15 minutes) to prevent

fatigue and to maintain alertness. Binocu-lars have little value in detection becausethey have narrow fields of view. This in-creases the time requ ired to search a givenarea of space. Binoculars may help to iden-tify a target after it has been detected. Seeappendix B for use of binoculars.

SEARCH SECTOR

Search sectors should be as small as pos-sible and still have good coverage to bothsides of the expected avenu es of target

app roach. When alerted to an appr oachingtarget, the search sector shou ld be red ucedand concentrated in the general direction ofthe expected approach.

HO W TO SEARCH

An observers capability to detect air-craft increases as the size of the search sectorassigned decreases. Detection is more likelyif an ob server is assigned respo nsibility forsearching a narrow sector than if he is respon-

sible for searching the entire area surround -ing his position. If an alert warnings system issup porting the observer, he maybe assigneda fairly large sector (for example, 90) for

general surveillance. When a warning isreceived, he then narrow s his search sector(for exam ple, 30) and centers it on the a ir-crafts ap proach azimuth. Decreasing thesector size to less than 30 is not ad visable

because the alert warning system azimu thdata m ay not be accura te. An error of only afew degrees may cause the observer to missan aircraft. Often observers, using the hori-

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zon as a reference, tend to concentrate their assigning search sectors, the sector should besearch near the horizon and disregard objects defined in both horizonta l and vertical planes.high above the h orizon. Therefore, when

A simple way to estimate how high above perpendicular to the ground. Now, when thethe horizon to search is to use the han d. little finger is touching the horizon, the tip ofFacing the PTL, extend either the left or right the thu mb is approximately 20 above thearm fully and extend the fingers. The tips of horizon.the thumb and little finger should form a line

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The observer should frequently focus hiseyes on a distant object, such as a cloud orterrain feature (otherwise, the eyes tend torelax and distant objects become blurred ).

Search the area near the sun by extend-ing arm an d h and as to block out the sun sglare. (Looking into the su n w ithout sh ield-ing the eyes will cause them to become blindedfor a few seconds. This may prove to be criti-cal, because th e observer m ay lose sight ofthe target.)

The observer should squint his eyes if hehas trou ble focusing at long ran ges. Squint-ing compresses the eyeballs, thus changingtheir focal length and making distant objectscome into focus.

The observer should keep his eyes on theaircraft once he sees it. If he has to look awayfrom it, he notes the direction of the aircraftand moves his eyes away from it when theaircraft is near some object, such as a cloud or

a terrain feature, that w ill guide his eyes backto it.Observers may u se one of two systematic

method s of search to look for aircraft in anytype of terrain.

In the first method, the observer searchesthe horizon to about 20 (356 roils) above thehorizon by m oving his eyes in short m ove-men ts across the sky, working h is w ay upand across. He continues the scan pattern tobelow th e hor izon to d etect aircraft flyingnap-of-the-earth.

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In the second method, the observer continuing this movement across the terrain.searches the sky using the horizon as a start- He scans in the sam e pattern below theing point and prominent terrain features as horizon to detect aircraft flying nap-of-points of reference. He moves his eyes in the-earth.short movements up the sky, then back down,

Observers with more experience andabove average visual efficiency may use

nonsystematic methods of search that workbest for themselves such as

Combination of the two systematicmethods.

Search of the horizon in th e shape of anoval to about 20 above the hor izon.

General/ random search of the horizon.

When the Stinger team occup ies a tacti-cal position, each team m ember w ill taketurn s searching for aerial targets. This allowsone member to search while his partner restshis eyes and p rovides ground security. Search

sectors are arranged to p rovide all-arou ndcoverage of the entire area and overlappingcoverage of the assigned sector of fire onlikely appr oach routes. When an alert warn -

ing is received, both team members shiftprimary search em phasis to the azimu th of

app roach (w ith frequen t all-around scans)until one member detects the target.

At times, the Stinger team w ill beassigned a sector of responsibility by th eStinger section chief or the sup ported un itcomm ander. When two or more teams aredefending a u nit in position behind the line ofcontact, the Stinger team nor mally concen-trates its search for aircraft along theseavenues. At other times, the Stinger team willsearch for aircraft as specified by local SOPor as requ ired by th e situation. This is com-

mon when a Stinger team is defending a con-voy. This is also common when it is support-ing a maneuver unit which is in contact withor moving to contact with the enemy.

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WHERE TO

A map reconnaissance of the supportedunits direction of movement or area of opera-tion will help to pinpoint areas from which

aircraft are most likely to attack the unit.Mark th e far sides of w oodlines, ridgelines,and significant folds in the terrain out to atleast 3,000 to 5,000 meters. This is whereattack helicopters can lie in w ait at the m ax-imum range of their antitank guided missiles(ATGM). Mark restricting terrain-defilesand narrow valleyswh ere the unit may beforced to pinch together, becoming lucrativetargets for air attack.

WITH M ANEUVER UNITS

When accompanying maneuver units incontact or m oving to contact with the enemy,the Stinger team usu ally concentrates itssearch for aircraft in the general d irection ofthe enem y grou nd forces and occasionallysearches the entire horizon. Other unit per-

SEARCH

sonnel should also be constantly alert to thepossibility of attack by enemy aircraft. Again,the team chief mar ks the route of advan ce

and monitors the TADDS and the radio forwarnings of approaching aircraft.

TELL-TALE SIG NATURES

Many aircraft have tell-tale signatureswhich can lead to early detection. Stingerteams should look for the following:

Sun reflection from aircraft canopies orcockpit wind ows.

Blade flash from rotating helicopter blades.

Smoke or vapor trails from jet aircraft and

missile or rockets fired from aircraft.Dust or excessive m ovement of tree tops

and bushes in a particular area.

Noise from h elicopter blades or from jetsbreaking the sound barrier.

AIRCRAFT INTERROGATION

Exactly when to interrogate an aircraft are shown in the illustration below.dep end s up on th e WCS in effect. The WCSs

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Rules of engagement d o not p rohibit a the aircraft in the r ange ring.unit or air d efense weapon from shooting at As soon as the target is in the range ring,an aircraft that is attacking itthe right of

self-defense is never denied. (The engage-press th e challenge switch. After tr iggering,the IFF operation is completely au tomatic.

ment decision is covered in chapter 5.)The following shows in words and gra-

Interrogation techniques are a s follows: ph ics the IFF tone respon ses.

Aim the weap on at the target and center

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AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION

Firing a Stinger missile at an aircraftmust be IAW specific hostile criteria. (Nor-

mally, the responsibility for target identifica-tion rests with the team chief.) The identifica-tion must be completed before the team chiefcan issue a comm and to engage. The gunnermay complete the engagement sequence up tofiring, but he will not fire without having firstreceived an ord er to engage from the teamchief. When operating a s par t of a split teamor if the team chief becomes a casu alty, thegunner must assume identification responsi-bilities. After an aircraft has been detected, itmu st be iden tified as friend ly, hostile, orunknown.

If the aircraft is declared friendly, it mustnotbe engaged (except in self-defense).

If the aircraft is declared h ostile and iswithin ran ge, it mu st be destroyed (exceptunder a condition of WEAPONS HOLD).However, the right to fire in self-defense isnever denied.

If the aircraft is un know n, the engage-men t d ecision is based on th e WCS, app lica-tion of hostile criteria and techniqu es of fire.

HOSTILE CRITERIARecognition of the aircraft by name or

country of man ufacture is a start, but it isby no mean s conclusive. For examp le, theMirage III/ V is mad e in France; how ever, itis in service in 23 countries in Europe, theMiddle East, Africa, Australia, and SouthAmer ica. Other aircraft are similarly spreadthroughout the world, including many madein the United States. Target identification ashostile must be based on visual inspection ofthe target and its assessment ag ainst specific

hostile criteria. The exact criteria in use mayvary w ith the ta ctical situation, from com-mand to command , and in terms of time andspa ce. For examp le, the TSOP may classifyas hostile those aircraft that are

4 - 8

Attacking friend ly elements. Any aircraftactively attacking the team or supported unit

or installation m ay be id entified as h ostile.The right of self-defense is never denied.

Responding improperly to IFF interroga-tion. The gu nn er issues an IFF challenge tothe target by pressing the IFF CHALLENGEswitch. If the target responds improperly tothe challenge, the team chief may accept th eimp roper respon se as a first assum ption ofhostility. However, the team chief must thensuccessfully apply at least one more hostilecriteria based on visual observation of theaircraft before making a final identification

of the aircraft as hostile.Note: If the WCS is WEAPONS FREE, gun-ners will engage aircraft responding improp-erly to IFF interrogation unless constrainedby headquarters/ command directives/ SOPs.

Performing an y of the following acts overfriendly troops or territory w ithout p riorcoordination:

Discharging sm oke or spray.

Discharging parachutists or unloadingtroops in excess of normal aircraft crew.

Engaging in m ine-laying op erations.ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Unauthorized or improp er entry into anarea designated as restricted or p rohibitedcould p rove dangerous or lead to personnelinjury and aircraft loss. Care shou ld be exer-cised in applying this criterion. This is neces-sary to avoid engaging a friend ly aircraftthat has been dam aged and is retiring to therear of our lines. Also, it may have inad vert-ently strayed into the restricted area due to a

navigational error.Aircraft operating at prohibited speeds

or altitudes, or in p rohibited d irections, canpose a real problem to an observer. Thedetermination of aircraft speed and altitude


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by grou nd observers is d ifficult. Extreme careshould be used in applying this criterion.

An a ircraft bearing the m ilitary mark-ings or having the configuration of an air-craft emp loyed by a kn own enemy n ationmay a lso pose a real problem to th e Stingermissile team. In this case, the criteria used bythe Stinger team mu st be based on visualinspection of the aircraft. Since aircraft

markings are not u sually visible at longranges, most identifications must be made onrecognition of the physical features of theaircraft. To eliminate any element of dou bt,both team members must be capable of rec-ognizing friend ly as well as enemy aircraft.(For detailed discussion of aircraft recogni-tion, refer to FM 44-30.)

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CHAPTER 5

The Engagemen t Decision

When the team chief or gunner has made an identification of a target ashostile, or (und er certain conditions) as un know n, and all other requ irements forengagemen t are met, the team chief makes the engagement d ecision.

THE STIN GER MISSION

The mission of the Stinger team is to pro-tect the unit which it is supporting fromattack by aircraft. To be su ccessful in theirmission, the team m embers mu st work to-gether as a team . In this chapter th e actionsand decisions mad e by the team chief and thegunner d uring an engagement sequence are

explained . These actions an d decisions m ustbe und erstood by both team members prior toand d uring an engagement.

STING ER TEAM

The basic combat u nit is the Stingerteam. The team consists of a team chief and agun ner. Both team m embers are trained asgunners and in communications, target detec-tion, and aircraft recognition. During periodsof intense air activity, both m ay act as gun -ners to increase the rate of fire. A basic load ofsix Stinger weapon s (four w eapon-round sand two m issile-round s) are carried by eachteam, initially, during combat operations.Resupp ly will normally be with Redeye (until

full Stinger fielding is accomplished). Stingerteams sup porting m aneuver units providesuch un its with an ad ditional means of airdefense.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

The Stinger teams are commanded and

controlled by the section chief. The sectionchief controls his teams during field opera-tions throu gh u se of a detailed TSOP. Thismethod of control is used because the teamsare usually located at long distances from thesection chiefs command post. Therefore,direct and personal supervision of each teamnorm ally is not p ossible. The link betw eenthe section chief and his team s is a tactical

CONTENTSPage

The Stinger Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1

Method of Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2

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rad io net. Over th is net the section chief to fire by use of WCS and fire control orders.maneuvers his team and obtains information Further details on command and control areon their status and location. He also mod ifies found in FM 44-18. The fire control orders used

their state of read iness by chan ging the air by team chiefs are shown in the illustration.defense warn ing and controls their freedom

TEAM CH IEF

The Stinger team chief is responsible for selecting the m ethod of engagement to bethe decision to engage. He m ust m ake the used and selecting the sp ecific target to bedecision based on ru les of engagemen t con- engaged.tained in the u nit TSOP and with criteria

In the event that the gu nner is alone, hegiven to h im by the section chief. In add itionto identifying the target, he is responsible for engages the m ost threatening target first.

METHOD OF ENGAGEMENT

The method used to engage aircraft flying the same course, at the same sp eed,depends upon their number. A multiple less than 1,000 meters apa rt. All other ra idstarget raid is a raid by two or more aircraft are single target raids.

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SING LE TARGET RAIDS

All single target raids are engaged usinga SHOOT-LOOK-SHOOT technique of fire.This method is the firing of a first missile

(SHOOT) as soon as th e requ irements for anengagement are met, then an evaluation(LOOK) of the first m issile to see if it hit th etarget. A second (SHOOT) missile will befired if the first does not hit the target orappears to have failed to achieve guidedflight. When the gu nner fires his missile, theteam chief will observe the flight of the mis-sile, make th e kill evalua tion an d, if neces-sary and time perm its, launch his missile.

MU LTIPLE AIRCRAFT RAID S

Multiple aircraft raids are engaged usinga SHOOT-NEW TARGET-SHOOT techniqueof fire. This requires the launching of asmany missiles as possible at successive air-craft in the raid. When practical, fire coordi-nation w ithin a team w ill be on voice com-mand of the team chief. When faced withmu ltiple targets of equ al threat, both teammembers will engage targets. The team chiefshould direct the gunner to fire at the lead orright aircraft in th e pr imary sector of search.The team chief engages the trailing or lefthostile target. Fire w ill be w ithheld if friendly

and hostile aircraft are closely intermixed.(For further details, refer to FM 44-18 andyour unit TSOP.)

GUNN ER ACTIONS

When the gunner detects the target orreceives information from the team chief onthe targ ets location, he w ill attemp t to ac-quire the target in the sight. He is assisted bythe team chief in acquiring the correct target.When tracking has been established, thegun ner interrogates th e aircraft, continuestracking, and may activate while waiting foran engagem ent comman d. The team chiefsengagement command releases the gunner tofire when the gunner decides that the aircraft

meets the technical requ irements for a suc-cessful engagement. Several essential ele-ments of the engagement sequence must be

met before the gunner can fire his weapon.These elements are as follows:

The target is being tracked smoothly.

The target has been id entified as hostile(or unknown).

The target has been determined to bewithin r ange (see chapter 6).

The weapon h as been activated.

The IR acquisition tone has been received.

The team chief has given the en gagementcommand.

The seeker has been u ncaged an d IR acqui-sition tone is clear and steady.

Sup erelevation and lead h ave been app lied.

TEAM CHIEF ACTION S

When the team chief has mad e a firmdecision, he w ill issue an engagem ent com-mand to the gunner. The comm and m ustinclude the w ords h ostile and engage.The engagement comm and is

HOSTILE ENGAGE;

or HOSTILE ENGAGE, LEAD TARGET;

or HOSTILE, ENGAGE RIGHT TARGET.

SITUATIONS

The following situations show how theStinger team chief uses h is prescribed rules tomak e an engagem ent d ecision. It is criticalthat th is decision be timely and accura te. Toaccomplish this, the team chief mustthoroughly understand the rules of engage-ment an d control measures ap plicable to theStinger system. In the following four situa-tions, place yourself in the p osition of aStinger team chief.

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CHAPTER 6

Engaging Aircraft

The speed of m odern aircraft is such that th e time allowedfor comp leting an engagemen t becom es a real challenge to th eStinger team; it may not be more than 10 to 20 seconds. Toaccomp lish all the tasks required for a successful engagementin this short time requ ires a smooth, rapid , and almost auto-matic response by the gu nner to every engagement situation.To obtain this type of response requires a set of rules andprocedures which can be learned to the point that they can be

applied automatically.

TECHNIQUES OF FIRE

Previous chapters have dealt with thesubjects of detecting and identifying aircraftand how to hand le and operate the Stingerweapon. This chapter outlines firing tech-niques necessary to engage aircraft. For theengagement to be successful, the followingadditional decisions must be made:

Aircraft direction.Aircraft threat.

Aircraft type.

Aircraft range.

AIRCRAFT DIRECTION

Once the aircraft is detected, the w eaponis sighted so that the aircrafts image isaligned within the range ring of the weap onsight. Tracking the aircraft in the properstance w ill help th e gun ner d eterminewhether th e aircraft is on an incoming/outgoing or crossing p ath. The gu nn erassumes a proper stance by stepping directlytoward the target with h is left foot and lean-

ing toward the target. In th is position, if thegunner has any horizontal movement of hisarms or upper body as he tracks the target,then the target should be considered cross-ing. If there is a lack of any substantialhorizontal movement, then the target shouldbe considered incoming/ outgoing. Also ind ic-ative of an incoming/ outgoing aircraft is any

vertical movem ent of the gunn ers arm s orup per bod y. Determ ination of crossover(that is, the closest point the aircraft ever getsto the gunner) is important for application ofaspect or activate decisions. Target size (get-ting larger/ smaller) can assist the gun ner indetermining crossover or incoming/ outgoingstatus.

CONTENTSPage

Techniqu es of Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-1

The Engagement Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-4

Launch Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-6

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AIRCRAFT THREAT

Any aircraft approaching a defendedarea poses a threat un til properly identified.Upon detection, a decision must be madeimmed iately by the team chief as to whether

or not the aircraft is a potential threat. If itsdirection of flight indicates that it w ill pene-trate the defended area, the gunner issues anIFF challenge. If the aircraft fails to correctlyrespond to the IFF challenge, it is considereda potential threat. The gunner may activatehis weapon at this point.

AIRCRAFT TYPE

For Stinger engagement pu rp oses, air-craft have been placed in these twocategoriesjet and propeller driven.

Jets includ es all jet aircraft, regard less ofsize or mission.

Propeller driven includ es all other typ esof aircraft, such as propeller-driven aircraftand all helicopters.

Determination of whether the target is ajet or propeller shou ld be mad e by th e teamchief and should come as early in theengagement sequence as possible.

AIRCRAFT RANGE

The Stinger gunner must evaluate thetarget and determ ine if the target is w ithinthe Stinger m issiles ran ge. The type of air-

craft (jet or propeller d riven) and the flightpa th (incoming, crossing, or outgoing) willdeterm ine what ru le to follow w hile makingthe launch d ecision. By ap plying th e correct

rule for the type an d flight path of the air-craft, the Stinger gun ner can be assured thathe will fire within the effective range of themissile and withhold fire on targets out of hislaunch boun daries, thereby maximizing hitsper missile fired.

Incomin g/Ou tgoing Jet AircraftFor incoming/ outgoing jet aircraft, the

launch and hold fire decision is based on arange ring measurement. The gun ner movesthe w eapon so that the aircrafts image is

within th e range ring of the sight.He th en evaluates the size of the aircraft

image relative to the width of the range ring.For example, if the aircrafts width withinthe range ring is app roximately one-half thesize of the ran ge ring, then t he aircraft is atone-half range ring. A helpful hint in esti-mating aircraft size within the range ring isto p lace the aircraft at the inner left (or right)edge of the range ring before making a sizeestimate. The gap at the bottom of the rangering is also used to measur e range ring size.

This gap m easur es one-fifth the size of therange ring. When an aircraft fills this gap, itis at one-fifth range ring.

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To determine when to activate, hold fire,or launch the m issile at an incoming or out-going jet, the gunner tracks the jet and makescontinuou s size estimates. When th e jetreaches a specified range ring size, it is con-sidered to be w ithin range of the missile. Thisis the earliest point at which the gunner maylaunch. He is also given a second ran ge ringmeasurement to indicate when he is to holdfire, a third for resume fire, and a fourth forcease fire.

The range ring measurements used indeterm ining wh en to laun ch are classifiedand are contained in (SNF) FM 44-1A.

Crossin g Jet Aircraft.

For crossing jets, the lau nch d ecision isbased on a time count rule. Hold fire is basedon a range ring m easurement. The gun nerpositions the weapon sight slightly forwardof a crossing jet image, then holds the w ea-pon stationary. He w aits until the jets nosereaches a fixed point w ithin the sight. Whenit reaches this fixed point, the gu nner beginscounting off in seconds, one thousand one. . . He watches the jet travel horizontally toanother fixed point within the sight. If the

jets nose reaches th e second fixed pointbefore or at th e correct time, then the jet is

within the missiles range. The gunner can

then either activate or launch th e missile(depending on the point in the engagement).If the jet takes longer th an the specified timeto travel between p oints, it is beyond th e mis-

siles range. The gunner must not fire.

Refer to (SN F) FM 44-1A for the actua lfixed points and the number of seconds (timecount rule) or size used in determining whento activate, hold fire, or launch.

Propeller AircraftFor prop eller aircraft (includ ing helicop-

ters) no time count ru le or range ring m ea-surements are used. The gunner can launchthe m issile as soon as the following areobtained:

Weapon activation.Positive hostile identification.

IR acquisition lock-on.

In som e cases the 45-second life of theBCU may expire prior to launch. The gunnerwill be cued to this event by a significantnoise level d ecrease in the acquisition toneand gyro sp in will also take place as the BCUreaches its life lim its. If a BCU is expen d edprior to launch, the gunner merely inserts anew BCU and reactivates the weap on. Theremoval and insertion of a BCU can be

accomplished within a few seconds.

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THE ENGAGEMENT SEQUENCE

The techniques of fire are combined withother weapon operations discussed in chap-ters 3 and 4 to complete the engagement

sequence. The following section outlines abasic sequence of events in the order thatthey u sually occur , but is not r igid . Forexample, determining aircraft type (jet orpropeller driven) and identification may takeplace at any time prior to launch. Also, cer-tain actions, such as tracking an d determin-ing whether the jet is incoming or crossing,are done continuously throughout the engage-ment sequence.

DETECT THE AIRCRAFT

This is don e by either th e team chief orthe gunner. It may be prompted by an earlywarning received over the radio. (See appen-dix A for p lotting of long ran ge targets.)

SHO ULDER THE WEAPON

In this step, the gunner shou ldersweap on, unfolds the antenna, removes

histhe

front cover, raises the sight, and connects theIFF cable. He then moves the weapon so thatthe aircrafts image is placed within therange ring and begins tracking the target.

INTERROGATE THE AIRCRAFT

The gun ner interrogates the aircraft. Theteam chief will consider an u nknown reply,along with the aircrafts direction of flight, indetermining whether the aircraft poses athreat to the defended area.

ACTIVATE THE WEAPON

The gunner activates the weapon whenthe aircraft appears to be penetrating thedefended area and fails to correctly respondto an IFF challenge. The gunner will notactivate if he determines that he w ill not be

6 - 4

able to successfully engage the target beforeit leaves the area.

ID ENTIFY TH E AIRCRAFTThe responsibility for identifying an air-

craft as hostile or friendly r ests with the teamchief (or gunner, if he is alone). He m ust m akethis decision as soon a s possible within theengagem ent sequence, and always prior tolaunch. Depend ing upon the WCS, identifica-tion must be made visually, by applying spe-cific hostile criteria (see chapter 4). (Seeappendix B for use of binoculars.)

CONTINUE TRACKINGIf the signal is strong enough for seeker

lock-on, uncage the seeker. The tone shouldbecome louder an d steadier. If the tone is lost,release the un caging sw itch an d try again. Ifyou cannot lock on the target, try the sweep-ing the target or the figure 8 methods (seechapter 3).

Remember, you m ust have IR acquisitionlock-on for all targets before you can fire atthem. Be sure the acquisition tone is not fromthe background or another IR source.

D ETERM IN E AIRCRAFT TYPE

For Stinger engagement p urp oses, thereare only tw o types of aircraft: jet and pro-peller. (For p ropeller, skip paragraph s ind i-cated by an asterisk (*).

*For jets, this decision w ill determ inewhich launch rule is to be used. The gunnersbody movement will aid him in determiningwh ether it is on an incoming, outgoing, orcrossing flight path. If there is any horizon-tal upper body movement, then it is crossing.


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The lack of any h orizontal movem ent indi-cates that it is either incoming or outgoing.Any vertical movem ent is also indicative ofan incoming/ outgoing target.

DETERMINE RANGE

*Apply the proper launch rule for anincoming or crossing jet to determine if the jetis within the Stinger missiles range.

INSERT SUPERELEVATION

AND LEAD

Press and h old the un cage switch. Thetone should become stronger. Apply super-

elevation an d lead for all aircraft by p lacingthe aircraft image in the proper supereleva-tion and lead reticle.

If the tone is lost, release the uncagingswitch and try again. If you cannot lock onthe target, try the sweeping th e target orthe figure 8 method (see chapter 3).Remember, you must have IR acquisitionlock-on for all targets before you can fire atthem.

FIRE

Squeeze the trigger w hile continu ing tohold the uncage switch. Remember to holdyour breath for 3 seconds.

LAUNCH RULES

For jet aircraft only for both incoming For all other aircraft (propeller), launch isand outgoing, launch when the jets image is made when a positive hostile identificationthe pr oper size within the rang e ring. The and IR acquisition lock-on are obtained .same ru les apply for crossing aircraft. Launch Hold fire on all targets wh en the inneris made if the jet meets the time count criteria. launch boundary dictates.

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Manpad

The MANPAD team,

CHAPTER 7

Team Operations

because of the rapid pace of mobilewarfare, must spend considerable time m oving, comm un icat-ing, positioning, and repositioning. These, as well as othertasks, m ust be performed un d er tactical conditions. Guidelinesare provided in this chap ter on th ese operations and activitieswhich will assist the MANPAD team in performing successfulmissions u nd er combat cond itions. (Crew drills are at ap pen-d ix D.)

TEAM PREPARATION

For the MANPAD team to function und ercombat cond itions, it is necessary to m akecertain p repar ations. Detailed p repar ationwill vary IAW the mission/ situation. How-ever, the team chief mu st get answers to thefollowing questions:

Who does the team support?

TO wh om d oes the team report?

What are the units call sign and frequency?

Where is the FAAR located and what is itsradio frequency and address code?

What is the commu nications schedu le?

u

u

uWhat are the security arrangementsthe team?

What is the threat (air and ground)?

for

What is the WCS and state of alert?

Where does the team m ess/ refuel?

What are the sign and countersign?

What are the special instructions, if any?

H OW will expended missiles be replaced?

When and where will the IFF interrogatorsbe reprogrammed?

Will the team have to be split? If so, whatabout the following:

Where will the team members be located?

How will the weapons be transported?

If the vehicle isnt used, how will it and anyother equipment be secured?

What w ill each man take with him ?u

CONTENTSPage Page

Team Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-1 Alert Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10

Position Occupation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4 Relations with Sup ported Unit . . . . . . . . .7-12

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-5 How to Operate as a Split Team . . . . . . . .7-12

Radio Communication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-7 Protecting a Con voy or Maneu ver UnitTeam Wire Communications . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8 with MANPAD Waapons . . . . . . . . . . . .7-13

Team Visual Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9 Night Operations and Security . . . . . . . . . 7-15

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The MANPAD team mu st have answersto questions about the operation if they are tobe successfu l in ba ttle. Wh enever po ssible,the team chief should m ake out a checklist

and attempt to find the answers to these andother questions. The questions listed aboveare not rigid bu t mu st be app lied so as to fitthe mission/ situation. The team chief m ayreceive the m ission either orally or in wr iting.Close attention m ust be p aid to the d etailswhich directly affect the teams mission.Making notes to yourself can be helpful. Ifsome important information affecting themission is vague, ask questions about thematter.

The team chief should make a tentativeplan for the operation of the team. Normally,

he is given sp ecific instructions by the sec-tion chief, such as, Join company team A(ind icated by m ap or by pointing) as soon aspossible. Occupy a position near coordinates86350115. Your team will be close to the thirdplatoon on this knoll. The WCS is WEAP-ONS FREE. Check the position on the groundfor good pr imary and alternate positions. Beprepared for air attack at any time as youmove up with the troops.

Equipment must be checked for complete-ness and proper functioning. If changes are

required, such as radio frequency change,make sure they are done at the prop er time.Sufficient rations and water m ust be acquired,etcetera.

The team chief should check his map fre-quently to make sure he knows where he isgoing to be positioned and how he is to getthere. After receiving the oral or written orderfrom the section chief, he briefs the gunner onthe new operation. The team chief makes surethat the gu nner receives all necessary infor-mation to accomplish the mission. All sol-diers do a better job if they know th e situationand are kept informed.

When ordered to move out, the team goesto their designated locations and effect liai-

son with the commander of the supported ornearest unit. The team chief explains theteam mission and touches base on commu-nications, ammunition resupply, refueling,

and rations. He should coordinate for posi-tioning (day an d n ight) and security.

Upon arrival of the team at the desig-nated location, the team chief selects the bestfiring position within the area selected by thesection ch ief. This site becom es the team spr imary position. Terrain evaluation precedesthe selecting of a position and is a continuousprocess. Mission accomplishment is the primeconsidera tion in site selection. Cover, con-cealment, and camouflage should a lso beconsidered when a choice of sites is available.When selecting positions, give p articularattention to u nobstructed fields of fire, mask-ing clearance, and backblast area. Terrainfeatures w hich present a masking pr oblemfor employment of Stinger are evaluated forheight, distance, and direction from the fir-ing positions. The team chief attempts toselect a p osition wh ich lessens th e effect ofterrain masking.

The selection of an alternate position is avery important consideration. The smokesignature of the Stinger missile and back-blast can be expected to reveal the team s

position during an engagement. After anengagement in a forward area, the team mustquickly move to an alternate position. In rearareas, where the threat of ground/ artilleryfire is remote, the need to m ove qu ickly toanother position is not as great. Alternatepositions need not and should not be far fromthe p rimary position. An alternate p ositionshould be at least 200-300 meters from theprimar y position and should cover the samesector of fire as the p rimary p osition.

Time permitting, routes into and out of

these positions m ust be reconnoitered andselected. The rou tes shou ld afford cover be-tween positions. In choosing between avail-able positions, usually advantages and dis-

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advantages mu st be weighed one againstanother. When compromises are necessary,how well the team can do its mission at theposition is the determining factor. Use the

following position selection checklist whenpicking MANPAD positions:

Good observation and fields of fire. Posi-tions should ideally have at least 5 kilometersof observation and all-aroun d fields of fire. Atleast, the gunner m ust have good fields of firealong the most probable avenues of approachof hostile aircraft.

Accessibility for team vehicles. The posi-tion shou ld be easy for the team vehicles tomove into. Concealed routes are necessary tothe rear and flanks for rapid shifting of

position.Security from groun d attack. Team p osi-

tions m ust have p rotection against groun dattack. Two m ain factors to think abou twh en changing a p osition are to positionwithin or near friendly units for security andprotection from enemy grou nd fires. Maskingbetween the position and the enemy h ides theposition from enemy ground observation.

Communications. The positions selectedmust allow the team to communicate effec-

tively. Wherever possible, direct line of sightfor team commu nications mu st be obtained .If you cant commu nicate from your position,the position is unsatisfactory.

FAAR. MANPAD team p ositions shou ldbe located to receive manual SHORAD con-trol system (MSCS) information on the FAARearly

fm 44-18-1 stinger team operations

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