Saab has received a SEK 1.2 billion order from the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command for its RBS 70 NG short-range air defence system.
The agreement, announced on 28 August, covers an initial delivery of the system while also providing a mechanism for Finland to order additional RBS 70 NG equipment, training, spare parts and maintenance equipment in future.
Finland has operated the earlier RBS 70 system since 2008, making the procurement a development of an established air defence capability rather than the introduction of an entirely new weapon family.
Updated short-range defence
RBS 70 NG is the latest version of Saab’s man-portable short-range air defence system. It uses laser guidance and incorporates an automatic target tracker together with an integrated night capability.
Saab describes the laser-guided missile as resistant to jamming because the guidance method does not depend on a radio-frequency command link that can be disrupted using conventional electronic countermeasures.
The automatic tracker is intended to reduce the burden on the operator during an engagement, while night capability broadens the conditions in which the system can be employed.
The system remains relatively compact compared with larger vehicle-mounted ground-based air defence platforms and can therefore contribute to protection of mobile forces, installations and other tactical assets.
Air defence procurement expands
The Finnish order reflects continuing European investment in layered ground-based air defence, particularly at the short-range end of the spectrum.
For procurement teams, short-range systems occupy an increasingly important position alongside longer-range missile batteries. The threats that military forces may need to address can include aircraft and helicopters as well as unmanned aircraft and other low-altitude targets.
The framework element of the Finnish contract is also significant from a through-life procurement perspective. Rather than covering equipment alone, it enables subsequent orders for training, maintenance equipment and spares, allowing capability and support requirements to be developed over time.
Finland’s previous operation of RBS 70 also reduces the extent to which the armed forces must introduce an unfamiliar system architecture, although the NG generation introduces updated sighting and tracking capabilities.
The contract adds to wider investment in Finland’s air defence capabilities while giving Saab another European customer commitment to its current-generation short-range system.
