{"id":39281,"date":"2022-02-28T21:15:03","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T21:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/28\/amid-fears-of-russian-air-dominance-us-to-send-anti-aircraft-stingers-to-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:50:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:50:21","slug":"amid-fears-of-russian-air-dominance-us-to-send-anti-aircraft-stingers-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/02\/28\/amid-fears-of-russian-air-dominance-us-to-send-anti-aircraft-stingers-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid fears of Russian air dominance, US to send anti-aircraft Stingers to Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The U.S. for the first time has approved the direct delivery of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine as part of a package approved by the White House last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Cold War, the CIA covertly supplied Stingers to Afghan guerrillas fighting Russian forces. Now Ukrainian forces locked in an intensifying fight to repel Russia<\/a> will get more of the shoulder-fired weapon, which has a 4-kilometer range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the Raytheon Technologies-made Stingers, Ukrainian forces gain a tool for fighting Russian helicopters being used to transport troops and as close-air support. They have relied on missile defenses and aircraft to, so far, keep Russian aircraft from completely dominating their skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce the Stinger\u2019s employed, it has the ability to be a game changer,\u201d said retired Army Lt. Gen. Jim Dubik, now a senior fellow with the Institute for the Study of War. \u201cThe Russians don\u2019t have air dominance, but they do have air superiority \u2015 and the Stingers won\u2019t take that away, but it\u2019ll be contested airspace, and that hurts the Russians\u2019 ability to conduct operations and increases Ukraine\u2019s ability to defend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s been a steady stream of new commitments from the European Union and western countries to send arms and other aid to Ukraine, which had asked<\/a> for Stingers and Javelin missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Associated Press was first to report the Stingers would be part of a $350 million tranche of supplies U.S. President Joe Biden<\/a> authorized last week. Defense News confirmed the report with an administration official granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. decision follows Germany\u2019s announcement it will send 500 Stinger missiles and 1,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, marking a reversal of Germany\u2019s long-standing policy of never sending lethal munitions to war zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Baltic states have also been providing Ukraine with Stingers since January, and in order to do that had to get U.S. permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s unclear when this tranche of U.S. aid will arrive, the Pentagon says it has not seen any Russian efforts to interdict western aid to Ukraine or problems with previous tranches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe assistance continues to flow, and we are comfortable that is it getting into hands that need it,\u201d Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t