RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for

anti-aircraft warfare Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...

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 A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

systems.

History

Before RBS 70 the mainstay of Swedish short range air defence was Robotsystem 69 (American Redeye) and the Swedish Bofors m/48 AAA. Development of the Rbs 70 to supply the Swedish air defence with a low-cost, easy-to-use and effective short-range SAM system began in 1969 when Bofors AB was contracted, who decided to use a novel guidance system in the form of a laser-beam riding missile co-developed with Laser Diode Laboratories. Further studies showed the need of a radar and an

Identification friend or foe Identification, friend or foe (IFF) is a combat identification system designed for command and control. It uses a transponder that listens for an ''interrogation'' signal and then sends a ''response'' that identifies the broadcaster. IFF syst ...

-system which were ordered from LM Ericsson and Svenska Aktiebolaget Trådlös Telegrafi (SATT) respectively in 1972. This became the first missile system to fully use computer simulated firing, with some 10 000 shots taken during development. In 1975, the finished system went into series production, and RBS 70 was taken into service in 1977. In 1982, the missile was improved to MK I, while the MK II came in 1990. The fourth generation, the Mach 2 "BOLIDE" all target missile appeared in 2003 along with improvements of the IFF-system and the ability to add a BORC thermal imager. The auto-tracking RBS 70 Next Generation with an integrated thermal imager came in 2011, now with a range of 9000 metres and 5000 metre height coverage. As a side development, the vehicle-mounted all-weather Robotsystem 90 was in service from 1993 to 2004, then mothballed until it was reactivated in 2017.

Design

Australian RBS-70 team during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21

The RBS 70 is a Short-range Air Defense (SHORAD) laser guided missile system. 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. Currently, RBS 70 is operational in 20 customer countries, on all continents and in arctic, desert, and tropical environments. In 2003 the "BOLIDE" 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 and can reach an altitude of 6 km. Deliveries were initiated in 2005.

Latest upgrade

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 automatic target tracking capable of night vision and improved training and after-action review features.

Operational use

Iran used the RBS 70 system during the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...

against Iraqi aircraft. In 1990, the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

embarked two RBS 70 units and

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

operators on board the fleet replenishment ship HMAS ''Success'' when it deployed to the Persian Gulf in the lead-up to the first Gulf War in Kuwait. In 1992, a Venezuelan Army RBS 70 SAM is attributed with having shot down a rebel OV-10 Bronco during the 27 November 1992 coup attempt. The Australian government has announced the Short Range Ground Based Air Defence in 2017. The plan is to find a replacement for the RBS-70. As of 2019 the NASAMS is the chosen option. Defence Department has signed a contract with Raytheon Australia. Planned replacement of the RBS-70 is financial year 2022–23. RBS 70 was supplied to Ukraine by Sweden at the beginning of 2023 during the Russian invasion. Sweden also provided Ukraine with the Giraffe 75 short range radar for use with the RBS 70. The Ukrainian military claims to have used RBS 70 to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and Iranian-made loitering munitions. On 17 August 2023, near Robotyne, members of the 47th Brigade used a RBS 70 to shoot down a Russian Ka-52, reportedly killing one of the two crew. On 5 December 2023, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk stated that a Ukrainian RBS 70 anti-aircraft missile took down a Su-24 aircraft using the RBS-70 MANPAD in

Odesa Oblast Odesa Oblast (), also referred to as Odeshchyna (Одещина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative centre is the city of Ode ...

. On 25 October 2023, the 25th airborne brigade shot down one Mi-8 helicopter in the Luhansk region using RBS-70 missile. On 6 December 2023, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down one Russian Su-24 in Odesa Oblast using a RBS-70. On 24 December 2023, the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade downed a Russian SuperCam drone using a RBS-70. On 13 May 2024, the 110th Mechanized Brigade shot down two Russian Su-25 and one Ka-52 helicopter using a RBS-70. On 29 April 2024, Australian Deputy PM and Defence Minister Richard Marles announced a $100 million (AUD) aid package for Ukraine. Half of this is for air defence, Minister Marles said that "dozens of million dollars" of RBS-70s will be provided to Ukraine. Australia is retiring RBS-70 in favour of NASAMS. It is not clear if the "Saab Giraffe" radar is included.

Operators

Current operators

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

RBS-70 NG *

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

RBS NG *

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

RBS NG. Entry into service from 2024 with Canadian Forces in Latvia. *

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

RBS 70 and RBS 70 NG *

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, Ilmatorjuntaohjus 05 (ITO 05 (ASRAD-R) and ITO 05M (MANPADS)) *

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, Operating RBS 70 MK1/2 *

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

: Six RBS 70 and RBS 70 NG. *

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

* : Mexican Army *

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

: Assembled since 1988. 1500 in service with the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. * *

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Former operators

* ** Norwegian Army (sold to Lithuania) * **

(donated to Ukraine)

References

External links

Official SAAB company page of RBS 70

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111221811/http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/row/rbs70.htm , date=11 November 2013 at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) website
RBS 70 NG VSHORAD Very Short Range Air Defense Missile System at armyrecognition.com
Surface-to-air missiles of Sweden Guided missiles of Sweden Military equipment introduced in the 1970s