A US-developed man-portable surface-to-air missile system (MANPADS). Normally shoulder-fired by a single operator, it can be adapted for use against helicopters and ground vehices. It entered service in 1981 and is used by the militaries of the United States and 29 other countries. Principally manufactured by Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
According to the 1993 US Air Defense Artillery Yearbook, the Mujahideen gunners used the supplied Stingers to score approximately 269 total aircraft kills in about 340 engagements, a 79% kill probability. If this report is accurate, Stingers would be responsible for over half of the 451 Soviet aircraft losses in Afghanistan.
This tag implicates rocket_launcher (learn more).