FIM-43 Redeye

FIM-43 Redeye
Inert FIM-43 Redeye
TypeMan-portable surface-to-air missile
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1967–1995
Used bySee Operators
WarsVietnam War
Soviet–Afghan War
Nicaraguan Revolution
Lebanese Civil War
War in Afghanistan
Salvadoran Civil War
Mali War[1]
Production history
DesignerConvair
DesignedJuly 1959
ManufacturerGeneral Dynamics
Produced1962–1971[2][non-primary source needed][disputeddiscuss]
No. built85,000
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications (FIM-43 Redeye)
Mass8.3 kg (18.3 lb)
Length1.20 m (3 ft 11.5 in)
Diameter70 mm (2.75 in)
Crew1

Effective firing range4,500 m (14,800 ft)
WarheadM222 Blast-fragmentation
Warhead weight1.06 kg (2.35 lb)
Detonation
mechanism
Impact Fuze

EngineFirst stage – Booster (Ejector): 3.3 kN (750 lbf) for 0.048 s
Second stage – Sustainer: 1.1 kN (250 lbf) for 5.8 s
Maximum speed Mach 1.7 (580 m/s)
Guidance
system
Infrared homing

The General Dynamics FIM-43 Redeye is a man-portable surface-to-air missile system. It uses passive infrared homing to track its target. Production began in 1962 and – in anticipation of the Redeye II, which later became the FIM-92 Stinger – ended in the early 1970s (delivery of the last Redeye for the US Army was completed in July 1971)[2][3] after about 85,000 rounds had been built. The Redeye was withdrawn gradually between 1982 and 1995 as the Stinger was deployed, though it remained in service with various armed forces of the world until quite recently,[when?] being supplied via the Foreign Military Sales program. It was initially banned from being sold overseas, to avoid missiles falling into the hands of terrorist organizations. However, after the export ban was lifted, the weapon was never actually used by terrorists against civil aircraft, in contrast with other MANPADS. While the Redeye and 9K32 Strela-2 (SA-7) were similar, the missiles were not identical. Nonetheless, the CIA concluded that the Soviet SA-7 had benefited from the Redeye's development.[4]

  1. ^ https://twitter.com/war_noir/status/1701072142903767080. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b Fiscal Year 1973 Authorization for Military Procurement, p. 3702.
  3. ^ STINGER: Redeye Missile Replacement Being Developed for 1980s, Army Research and Development, October–November 1972, 13 (7):18.
  4. ^ "Meet the Missile That Started the MANPADS Craze". 29 March 2015.