Stinger missiles and air-to-air launchers are being delivered to the Army of the Republic of Korea by Raytheon under a Foreign Military Sales deal.

The missiles and their launchers will be used on AH-64 Apache helicopters being acquired by the country.

"Stinger provides vital self-protection capabilities as well as defensive counter-air protection of aviation and ground forces," said Michelle Lohmeier, vice president of Raytheon's Land Warfare Systems product line. "Most importantly, Stinger operates day and night, in all environmental conditions and allows for the engagement of multiple targets within seconds."

The Stinger was originally brought into service in 1981 as a shoulder-fired ground-to-air weapon and has since been adapted for air-to-air use.

"With the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles in the battlespace and the key role of helicopters, the evolved technology of air-to-air Stinger is easily adapted to defeat evolving threats," said Jack Elliot, Raytheon's Stinger program director. "Stinger is an immediate- response weapon of choice against a wide range of air threats for protection of both fixed sites and maneuver forces."

Raytheon said the contract for Stinger-RMP (reprogrammable microprocessor) Blk 1 missiles is worth $35 million. Deliveries of the missiles and launchers to South Korea will begin in 2017.