M1097 Avenger

The M1097 Avenger is a self-propelled short-range air defense system mounted on an M1097 HMMWV chassis. It is designed to provide mobile, short-range air defense protection against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and low-flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters using Stinger missiles.

Developed by Boeing in the mid-1980s as a private venture, the Avenger was designed to fulfill the U.S. Army's Forward Area Air Defense requirement for a highly mobile, automated short-range air defense system. The system officially entered service with the United States military in 1989, quickly replacing older towed and manual air defense assets. It saw its first major combat deployment during the Gulf War and was subsequently utilized in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans, as well as during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. While still actively serving in the U.S. Army National Guard and recently supplied to Ukraine for modern conflict, the Avenger is gradually being succeeded by the newer Stryker-based Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system.