An Afghan mujahideen aims a FIM-92 Stinger missile at passing Soviet aircraft, 1988

The CIA sent 2,300 Stinger missiles to various mujahedin outfits throughout Afghanistan over the course of the war. Also it’s important to remember that US decision makers were risking a lot by implementing the Stingers in Afghanistan. First, the potential for those missiles to leave Afghanistan and be used on civilian or pro-US targets was large and second, the Stinger was US made which would give the Soviets concrete evidence of the US’s participation in arming the mujahideen. Evidently, the situation was so bad at the time that these huge risks had to be ignored and the Stingers were shipped to Pakistan for distribution in Afghanistan.