Czech Republic places order for RBS 70NG man-portable air defence systems.

Saab has signed a contract to supply The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic with RBS 70 NG, the latest generation of the RBS 70 man-portable air defence system. The order is valued at 365 MSEK and deliveries will take place in 2020 and 2021.

Czech Republic soldiers firing Saab RBS 70NG man-portable air defence system
(Picture source Saab)

In addition to the system itself, the order also includes integration with Czech Air Defence, test equipment and training. The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic is already a user of RBS 70, the preceding version of the system.

“We are happy to provide the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic with Saab's newest short range air defence system; RBS 70 NG. The fact that a NATO country decides to invest in Saab’s RBS 70 NG system is the best possible assessment it can get and proof that Saab is a leading provider of Air Defence solutions”, says Görgen Johansson, Head of Saab business area Dynamics.

“We are very pleased with our experience of the RBS 70 System and Saab´s support. The RBS 70 is the backbone to provide surface based Air Defence in NATO´s Multinational Task Force and from 2019 a part of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The completely new RBS 70 NG entails crucial system developments which significantly will add to our current capabilities for threats against Czech Republic and NATO´s sovereignty”, says Ján Sedliačik, Commander of 25th Air Defence Regiment, Czech Armed Forces.

Automatic tracking, extensive operator aids, the possibility of the firing sequence to be aborted (missile self-destruct), hit-point selection, possibilities to identify friend or foe, and optical target tracking all increase an RBS 70 NG operator's chance of striking the correct target, while also significantly increasing safety during critical actions. The RBS 70 NG operator has full control over what and where the missile hits or does not hit, which eliminates the risk of friendly fire.