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RBS 70

RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a Swedish MANPADS designed for combat in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. It uses the RB 70 missile which is also in use in a number of other Swedish missile systems.

History

RBS 70 was developed to supply the Swedish air defense with a low-cost, easy-to-use and effective shortrange SAM system. Before RBS 70 the mainstay of Swedish air defense was American HAWK systems (RBS 77 and RBS 97 "Swedish HAWK"), American Redeyes (RBS 69) and the Swedish Bofors m/48 AAA. The main reason for choosing to base air defense around a short-range, low-cost system is that at the time the doctrine of the Swedish Army was to fight a war where mobility and low maintenance are of great importance.

Current status

RBS 70 is a short-range man-portable (MANPADS), laser-guided missile system. The operator receives instructions on the position of the target from a local SLT (combat-control terminal) which is about the size of a laptop. The SLT in turn receives information through an encoded radio broadcast made by either a radar station (PS 90, PS 70) or some other information gathering source. When the target has been acquired by the operator he turns off the safety, which switches on the main laser and sends out an IFF signal and if positive makes firing impossible. If the operator is confident that he has a good track he fires. The missile then flies in the beam of the laser from the sight, adjusting its position constantly to stay within the beam. This puts a lot of pressure on the operator who needs to have a very steady aim. If the missile is guided to within 30 meters of the target a kill is 95% assured.

The exhaust is vented in the missile's midsection and the laser beam riding system is fitted in the tail, where it is extremely difficult to jam.

RB 70 has been constantly updated and improved, the first versions (Mk 0) had a short range and limited kill capabilities but this was much improved in later versions. Mk 1 and Mk 2 followed shortly and are the standard RB 70 with a range of 5,000–6,000 m and a ceiling of 3,000 m. RBS 70 is a product of Saab Bofors Dynamics and is operational in 15 customer countries, on all continents and in arctic, desert, and tropical environments.

The latest development is the BOLIDE system. It has a range of 8 km and can reach an altitude of 5 km. The BOLIDE has also a new warhead, which is both fragmentating and has a shaped charge, the adaptable proximity fuse gives it full effectiveness against a wider variety of targets, and new reprogrammable electronics gives it the possibility to engage attack cruise missiles and UAVs. The BOLIDE missile is an RBS 70 Mk 2 upgrade that is faster (Mach 2 vs Mach 1.6), with a range up to 8 km (4.8 miles). The BOLIDE deliveries were initiated in 2005