25 November, 2015. Swedish defence major Saab participated in a live-fire exercise held near Český Krumlov, in the Czech Republic and for the first time the company fully integrated the RBS 70 NG system into a customer’s existing air defence system.
The exercise, held at the Boletice Military Training Area in the Český Krumlov region, included several missile firings that successfully hit their airborne targets. Along with an assessment of tactical and technical requirements, verification was made of the system’s ability to be fully integrated with the Czech air defence network. Saab has worked closely with local industry and technology company Retia in this process.
Retia is the original equipment manufacturer of the Czech Army’s fire command and control system, the combat command post and the new ‘Revisor’ short range radar sensor. “Alongside the light weight and integrated night sight, one of the major advantages with the new RBS 70 NG is the automatic tracker, which allows the operator to ‘lock on’ to the target automatically. The missile fine aiming is performed automatically by the system, making the engagement very easy for the operator. It is like ‘fire-and-forget’ but proven to be unjammable. Even when the operator is under heavy pressure, it is basically impossible to miss. All our operators were able to successfully hit the flying targets with only a few hours of training,” says Lieutenant Colonel Jan Suchý, 252nd Air Defence Missile Battalion commander. The firing showed that the RBS 70 NG can be successfully integrated with the Czech air defence system. This is the first time that Saab has fully integrated the RBS 70 NG with a customer’s existing air defence platform. A breakthrough in term of technology and co-operation, the RBS 70 NG is now a ‘plug-and-play’ solution for any customer.
“This is a very satisfying result for the customer, Saab, Retia and the system itself. This successful firing demonstrates the RBS 70 NG is a modern and highly-flexible ground-based air defence system with world-leading capabilities. It is developed for any combat situation and it is without doubt a battlefield game changer,” said Görgen Johansson, head of Saab business area Dynamics.
Saab’s RBS 70 NG VSHORAD system, with its fully integrated 24/7 all-target capability, has been developed for the most demanding air defence combat situations. Its integrated sighting solution, enhanced missile operator aids, unbeatable range and unjammable laser guidance combine to produce a system with world-leading capabilities. The RBS 70 NG sight can be applied in a multitude of system configurations ranging from MANPADS (man-portable air defence system) to manned or even remotelycontrolled vehicle integrated air defence systems. The sighting system is designed to be used with all existing and future generations of the RBS 70 missile family
