World’s first laser-guided MANPADS: How Ukraine uses Sweden’s RBS 70 to down Russian helicopters

Content

1.What is RBS 70

2.How does RBS 70 work

3.Characteristics of RBS-70

4.The radar system

5.RBS-70 in Ukraine

What is RBS 70

The RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable short-range air defense system developed in Sweden by Bofors Defense (now Saab Bofors Dynamics). The system was developed to meet the requirements of the Swedish Armed Forces, such as a long interception range on an oncoming course, high accuracy and hit probability, resistance to all known artificial and natural obstacles, the ability to work on targets down to the ground, command control via line of sight, and the ability to operate at night. From the very beginning, the system was designed to be mounted on wheeled and tracked chassis.

The option of guiding the missile with a laser channel was chosen. The RBS-70 is the world's first man-portable air defense system with such a guidance system.

"Unlike similar systems that use an infrared GNSS, the Swedish RBS 70 guides the missile to the target with a laser beam. This makes it possible to engage enemy aircraft or other targets, even if they are flying on an opposite course and maneuvering vigorously. And the laser beam guidance makes the RBS 70 invisible to the enemy and resistant to heat traps or electronic warfare," Defense Express describes the system.

The basic RBS 70 Mk 0, which began production in the 1970s, can engage targets at a range of up to 5 km and at an altitude of up to 3 km. In the early 1990s, the RBS 70 Mk 2 version went into production with a range of up to 7 km and a kill height of up to 4 km, which already surpasses, for example, the characteristics of the Soviet Arrow-10 system. The fifth generation of the product, the RBS-70 NG, is currently in use. It was introduced in 2011. The fifth-generation man-portable air defense system has the ability to automatically track airborne objects, which ensures a higher hit probability and less time for operator training on simulator complexes. A typical training course for an operator using the simulator takes 15-20 hours spread over 10-13 days.

The complex is in service in two dozen countries. Among them are Australia, Argentina, Czech Republic, Finland, Iran, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Norway, Pakistan, and others.

How does RBS 70 work

The anti-aircraft system launcher consists of a tripod, a sighting device and a transport and launch container (TLC) with an anti-aircraft missile. Together with the tripod and the missile, the launcher weighs 87 kg. It cannot be launched from the shoulder. The launcher can be carried by the crew or mounted on a vehicle to increase mobility.

“Conceptually, this system falls in the niche between portable anti-aircraft missile systems such as Igla or Stinger and large anti-aircraft systems mounted on vehicles,” explains Militarnyi portal.

The system can be operated remotely, performing air defense tasks at stationary positions.

The RBS-70 is operated by three soldiers: an operator, a loader and a commander. The launcher is equipped with an optical sight and a thermal imager. The weight of the anti-aircraft missile in the transport and launch container is 24 kg. The deployment time of the system is 45 seconds, and reloading can be performed in less than 5 seconds.

The system is armed with Rb 70 Mk.1, Mk.2 and Bolide missiles. The effectiveness of the system depends on the choice of missile. When launched, the Rb-70 missile is ejected from the container at a speed of 50 m/s. Then the solid-fueled propellant engine is activated and operates for 6 seconds, accelerating the missile to supersonic speed. The operator's task is to keep the target in the field of view of the stabilized sight. The laser beam emitted by the guidance unit forms a “corridor” through which the missile moves. The low power used by the guidance system and the absence of radiation before the missile is launched make it difficult to effectively detect the RBS-70. The maximum speed of the missile reaches 2000 km/h.

It is known that the RBS-70 can also be used against lightly armored ground targets, as the warhead of the missile, in addition to being fragmentation, has an explosive effect.

Characteristics of RBS-70

• Effective range - more than 9 km;
• Height of impact - 0-5 km;
• Weight of the system - 87 kg;
• Deployment time - 45 seconds;
• Reloading time - up to 5 seconds;
• Bolide missile length - 132 cm;
• Bolide missile weight - 15 kg;
• Bolide missile speed - up to 2450 km/h.

The radar system

The RBS 70 typically operates as part of an integrated system with Swedish Giraffe 75 radar surveillance complexes, which were delivered to Ukraine in 2023. These short-range pulse-Doppler radars - also known in the Swedish army as the PS-90 Giraffe - can detect aerial targets up to 75 km away and at altitudes of up to 10 km. The radar can automatically acquire up to 15 targets and simultaneously track up to 20.

Once targets are detected, the information is sent to the radar's combat control console and then relayed via cable to connected launchers.

The radar system can operate in all weather conditions. During target tracking, it assists the operator by automatically adjusting aim precision using audio signals.

The PS-90 Giraffe is a two-dimensional radar, detecting aircraft by range and direction. It can identify both airplanes and hovering helicopters.

"The system is mounted on the chassis of all-wheel-drive, three-axle Tgb-40 trucks, but it can also be installed on tracked carriers like the Bv-206 or other vehicles. The radar is placed on a 13-meter mast, with a total deployment time of just over 5 minutes. The radar crew consists of five people, who can manually track up to three targets. The radar can provide targeting data for up to nine firing units. Its response time is 4–5 seconds," according to the Militarnyi portal.

RBS-70 in Ukraine

The fact that Ukraine was requesting RBS 70 systems from Sweden became known in the summer of 2022, when Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this at a briefing in Stockholm. After this statement, there was no public mention of the transfer of RBS 70 for the needs of the Defense Forces. And in March 2023, Swedish systems were seen in the photo of a soldier of the newly created 88th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In July of the same year, it became known that the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” had received Swedish RBS 70s. The photo was published by the brigade's press service.

After that, the Magura soldiers repeatedly demonstrated examples of the effective use of the portable air defense system. Thus, at the end of 2023, a Russian SuperSam drone was shot down. Another impressive example was the downing of a Russian Ka-52 helicopter in Zaporizhzhia region.

"It should be noted that the rocket's jet engine is not visible and leaves no trace, which is very important for the safety of operators. Usually, the launch site is demasked by a smoke trail that clearly indicates the location of the launcher," Defense Express commented on the video.

The new batch of RBS 70 air defense systems was announced in February 2025. Back then, these systems were part of a $113 million aid package from Sweden.