Sweden enhances ground force protection with new purchase of RBS 70 NG short-range air defence systems.

On July 1, 2025, Saab announced a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the supply of the RBS 70 NG ground-based air defence system. The order includes missiles and equipment intended to support future integration into Saab’s Mobile Short-Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) platform. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027 and continue through 2028.
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The RBS 70 NG, a man-portable short-range air defence system, uses a laser beam-riding guidance to achieve an effective range exceeding 9 kilometers, while its altitude coverage reaches up to 5,000 meters. (Picture source: Saab)

According to FMV, the acquisition is intended to enhance the Swedish Armed Forces’ capacity to counter airborne threats and to guarantee long-term access to the necessary systems and components. The total value of the contract is approximately SEK 1.5 billion (roughly $157.842.399), and it was booked in Saab’s second-quarter 2025 financial results. The RBS 70 NG system is already in service with the Swedish military, and this order expands its deployment while including future vehicle-based integration components.

The RBS 70 NG, a man-portable short-range air defence system, is designed by Saab Bofors Dynamics and is based on earlier versions developed by Bofors Defence. It uses laser beam-riding guidance and is equipped with an automatic target tracker and integrated night vision through a high-resolution thermal imager. The system’s effective range exceeds 9 kilometers, and its altitude coverage reaches up to 5,000 meters. Its guidance system includes three selectable proximity fuze modes and allows targeting of aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, and cruise missiles. The sight module supports video recording for post-mission evaluation and features modularity that allows integration into remote weapon stations on vehicles. The RBS 70 NG can be deployed in less than 45 seconds and reloaded in under five seconds. The missile’s maximum speed is Mach 2. The system weighs 87 kilograms, including stand, sight, and missile.

The RBS 70 program began following Sweden’s 1967 air defence review, which concluded that existing anti-aircraft systems such as 7.5 cm and heavier guns were insufficient to counter modern and future air threats. Development started in 1969 under contract to Bofors AB, with laser beam guidance co-developed with Laser Diode Laboratories. Additional subsystems were ordered from Ericsson and Svenska Aktiebolaget Trådlös Telegrafi (SATT) in 1972. The system entered series production in 1975 and was introduced into service in 1977. It has undergone several upgrades, including Mk I in 1982 and Mk II in 1990. The BOLIDE missile, introduced in 2003, increased speed to Mach 2 and altitude reach to 6 km. The NG version was launched in 2011 with improved sighting, automatic tracking, and integrated thermal imaging. It supports both MANPADS and remote weapon station configurations.

Sweden has also operated earlier vehicle-mounted variants such as the all-weather Robotsystem 90, which entered service in 1993 and was reactivated in 2017 after being mothballed. In addition to Sweden, over 20 countries have used or currently operate the RBS 70 system, including Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Ukraine. Australia previously operated the system but retired it in favor of NASAMS. In 2024, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles announced a $100 million (AUD) aid package to Ukraine, with “dozens of million dollars” allocated to RBS 70 systems. It is not confirmed whether Saab’s Giraffe radar is included in that aid. Canada began deploying RBS 70 NG systems to Latvian-based forces in 2024.

The system has seen repeated combat use. During the Iran–Iraq War, Iran deployed RBS 70 units against Iraqi aircraft. In 1992, Venezuelan forces used the system to shoot down a rebel OV-10 Bronco during a coup attempt. More recently, Ukraine has employed the system since early 2023, when Sweden donated RBS 70 launchers and Giraffe 75 radars. Ukrainian units have used the system to down Russian Su-24 and Su-25 fixed-wing aircraft, Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters, cruise missiles, and loitering munitions. Notable incidents include the downing of a Ka-52 by the 47th Brigade near Robotyne on 17 August 2023, a Su-24 shot down in Odesa Oblast on 5 December 2023, and two Su-25 aircraft and one Ka-52 helicopter reportedly shot down by the 110th Mechanized Brigade on 13 May 2024. The 25th Airborne Brigade also reported shooting down a Mi-8 helicopter in Luhansk on 25 October 2023. The 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade used the system to shoot down a SuperCam drone on 24 December 2023.

The RBS 70 NG is designed for operational flexibility, with deployment options including tripod-mounted systems, vehicle-mounted platforms like ASRAD-R, and naval integration. It uses a laser beam riding missile with a warhead combining a shaped charge and 3,000 tungsten spheres. The missile measures 1.32 meters in length, with a diameter of 106 mm and a wingspan of 32 cm. The warhead is triggered by an adaptive proximity fuze with three selectable modes. The propulsion includes a smokeless solid propellant booster and sustainer motor. The system’s modular design allows rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles, including integration with command-and-control networks, radar-based cueing, and forward-deployed units. Finnish procurement of the BOLIDE missile under the ITO2005 M designation and Brazil’s operational use during the 2016 Rio Olympics demonstrate the system’s adaptation to various environmental and security conditions.

The recent Swedish order reaffirms the RBS 70 NG’s role in national defense planning and aligns with broader efforts to improve brigade-level air defense. FMV’s Jonas Lotsne stated that the acquisition is intended to increase the long-term capability of the Swedish Armed Forces to counter airborne threats and provide enhanced support to its brigades. Saab’s Görgen Johansson, head of its Dynamics business area, confirmed the company's role in delivering these systems. The system will be integrated into existing Swedish Armed Forces units and used to reinforce their operational readiness and ability to respond to evolving aerial threats. The contract also includes provisions that will facilitate its future integration into vehicle-based MSHORAD solutions, reflecting ongoing development of layered and mobile ground-based air defense capabilities within Sweden’s national military infrastructure.