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Sweden Saab AB
RBS 70
A Swedish man-portable, laser beam-riding short-range air-defense missile system fired from a tripod launcher, immune to infrared and radar countermeasures because it does not rely on a homing seeker. Widely exported and continuously upgraded, the latest RBS 70 NG variant adds a thermal sight and improved missiles.
In service since 1977 · 19 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
8
km range
5,000
m altitude
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Swedish export-licensed
ISP licensing; EU/Wassenaar controls.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 19 operators
In service since 1977. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 1.6 Mach Bottom 7% of air-defense systems
- Engagement range
Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace.
- 8 km Stronger than 11% of air-defense systems
- Engagement altitude
Maximum target altitude the system can reach.
- 5,000 m Stronger than 12% of air-defense systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- Bolide/Mk2 laser beam-riding missile
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 1 kg Bottom 2% of air-defense systems
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- Blast-fragmentation
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Laser beam-riding
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 19 Top 6% of air-defense systems
Specifications compiled from public Saab AB and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the engagement range of the Saab AB RBS 70? +
The Saab AB RBS 70 has a maximum engagement range of 8 km.
What is the main armament of the Saab AB RBS 70? +
The Saab AB RBS 70's primary weapon is the Bolide/Mk2 laser beam-riding missile.
What is the Saab AB RBS 70 used for? +
The Saab AB RBS 70 is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the Saab AB RBS 70? +
The Saab AB RBS 70 is operated by 19 countries.
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