U.S. Paratroopers Are Now Training to Jump With Surface-To-Air Missiles

USMC

The Fayetteville Observer: Paratroopers train with Stinger missiles

The 82nd Airborne Division is adding more firepower to its paratroopers.

Soldiers with the 1st Brigade Combat Team trained last week to jump into combat with the FIM-92 Stinger, a man-portable surface-to-air missile that could be used against enemy helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles and to protect drop zones.

The missile systems are meant to give another layer of protection to soldiers who train to jump behind enemy lines and seize airfields and terrain before other troops and supplies can arrive.

In recent years, the 82nd Airborne Division has taken several steps to up its firepower, working to increase the speed at which the division’s own aerial systems — attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles — can be deployed and adding ultralight all-terrain vehicles and armored vehicles to its arsenals.

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WNU Editor: This is acknowledgement that in future conflicts the U.S. might come up against "near-peer" forces like China and Russia