Saab has received an order for deliveries of the short-range air defence systems RBS 70 NG to the Argentine Armed Forces.
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The RBS 70 NG systems, training simulators and missiles delivered, will be used by the Argentinian Army, Navy and Air Force (Picture source: Saab)
The Argentinian Navy has been a user of the RBS 70 since 1984 and is now upgrading to the latest RBS 70 NG. The contract entails a further expansion of the country’s usage of the RBS 70 NG system to the Air Force and to the Army. The RBS 70 NG systems, training simulators and missiles delivered, will therefore be used by the Argentinian Army, Navy and Air Force.
“We look forward to further strengthening the air defence of the Argentinian Armed Forces. With this capability they will have the most modern short-range air defence system on the market, with unjammable laser guidance as well as an integrated night sight,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
RBS 70 NG is the latest iteration of Saab’s short-range ground-based air defence system. With this order, five nations have signed contracts for RBS 70 NG, including the Czech Republic, Brazil, and Sweden.
RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence (now Saab Bofors Dynamics, since 2000). It uses the RB 70 missile which is also in use in a number of other Swedish missile systems. The RBS 70 was developed to supply the Swedish air defence with a low-cost, easy-to-use and effective short-range SAM system. Before RBS 70 the mainstay of Swedish air defence was American MIM-23 Hawk systems (RBS 77 and RBS 97 "Swedish Hawk"), American Redeye (RBS 69) and the Swedish Bofors m/48 AAA. Mk 1 and Mk 2 followed shortly and are the standard RBS 70 with a range of 5,000–6,000 m and a ceiling of 3,000 m. In 2003 the "BolideE" upgrade system was introduced to the RBS 70.
The Bolide missile is an RBS 70 Mk 2 upgrade that is faster (Mach 2 vs Mach 1.6), with a range up to 8 km (5.0 mi) and can reach an altitude of 6 km. Deliveries were initiated in 2005. In 2011, Saab Bofors Dynamics (successor company of Bofors Defence) announced the introduction of the new RBS 70 New Generation (RBS 70 NG). The upgraded version included an improved sighting system capable of night vision and improved training and after-action review features.
