First firing of RBS 98 air defense missile system from Swedish soil.

The Swedish Army is fielding a ground-launched version of the IRIS-T, designated RBS 98, to replace the RBS 70 missile system. Four missiles are carried on a special version of a BV 410 tracked armored vehicle. The target to be fought in this case is one of FMV's unmanned target robots.

First shooting on Swedish soil with robot 98 Lv! Apart from a small software adjustment, this is the same robot that has been a fighter robot for years on the fighter aircraft Jas 39 Gripen. The anti-aircraft version of robot 98 is shot from a BV 410 (Picture source: Anders Åberg/FMV)

Air Force Regiment's project manager for the introduction of the new system, Major Joakim Olsson, didn’t provide details about the test, since large parts of the test work are not public information. "There is still some work to do with the verification, but we are already convinced that the union has a very competent system that provides a significantly increased operational capability," says Joakim Olsson.

On its side, as previously published on Army Recognition, the Norwegian Army has decided to acquire a mobile ground-based air defense system in a direct acquisition with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The deliveries are planned for 2018 to 2021 and the system will re-use NASAMS command and control and its network solutions, to create a "highly mobile, short-range air defense system". The project includes six modified M113 vehicles carrying IRIS-T-missiles.