Latvia Orders RBS 70 NG Short-Range Air Defence Systems

On 14 December 2022, Saab announced that they had received an order for RBS 70 NG Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) system and the Giraffe 1X radar from the Latvian Ministry of Defence. Saab did not disclose the quantities ordered, but stated that deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2022.

The Giraffe 1X radar, is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar operating in the X-band, providing coverage up to 70° in elevation and rotates to provide 360° coverage in azimuth. It is capable of tracking 600 simultaneous targets, out to its instrumented detection range of 75 km, and has a refresh rate of 1 second.

The RBS 70 NG is the most recent variant of the RBS 70 family, it features a built-in day and thermal sight, and has an automatic target tracking (ATT) capability. The system can be armed with either the RBS 70 Mk2 or the Bolide missile. Both use laser beam-riding guidance and can engage land or aerial targets. The Bolide is capable of engaging targets out to a maximum range of 9 km, and at altitudes up to 5 km.

RBS 70 NG is in service with several countries, including Sweden, the Czech Republic and Brazil.

MC