Czech army tests RBS 70 NG

The Army of the Czech Republic has carried out a life-fire test of Saab’s RBS 70 Next Generation (NG) missile system, with all missile firings successfully hitting their airborne targets, Saab announced on 16 November.

The firing, conducted in late October at the Boletice Military Training Area by the 252nd Air Defence Missile Battalion, allowed the army to assess tactical and technical requirements and verify the system’s ability to be fully integrated with the Czech air defence network.

According to Saab, the firing showed that the RBS 70 NG can be successfully integrated with the Czech air defence system. 

The process of integrating the RBS 70 NG with an existing air defence platform saw Saab work closely with original equipment manufacturer of the Czech army’s fire command and control system, combat command post, and the new ‘Revisor’ short range radar sensor – Retia.

Lt Col Jan Suchý, 252nd Air Defence Missile Battalion commander, said: ‘Alongside the lightweight and integrated night sight, one of the major advantages with the new RBS 70 NG is the automatic tracker, which allows the operator to ‘lock on’ to the target automatically. The missile fine aiming is performed automatically by the system, making the engagement very easy for the operator. 

‘It is like ‘fire-and-forget’ but proven to be unjammable. Even when the operator is under heavy pressure, it is basically impossible to miss. All our operators were able to successfully hit the flying targets with only a few hours of training.’

Görgen Johansson, head of Saab business area Dynamics, added: ‘This is a very satisfying result for the customer, Saab, Retia and the system itself. This successful firing demonstrates the RBS 70 NG is a modern and highly-flexible ground-based air defence system with world-leading capabilities. It is developed for any combat situation and it is without doubt a battlefield game changer that will provide a critical edge across the spectrum of ground-based air defence.’