The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has finalized an agreement with the Swedish defense company Saab to acquire the RBS70 NG Mobile Short Range Air Defence System (MSHORAD).
This move aims to significantly enhance Lithuania’s air defense capabilities, ensuring the protection of key sites and infrastructure.
“We’ve signed a deal with Sweden’s Saab Dynamics AB to acquire the mobile short-range air defense system RBS70 NG (MSHORAD)! This advanced, mobile system will significantly boost the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ capabilities, ensuring the protection of key sites and infrastructure,” stated the Lithuanian Minister of Defence.
The order, valued at approximately SEK 1.3 billion ($123 million), will see deliveries taking place between 2025 and 2027. The agreement is part of a broader framework between Saab, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense. This framework allows Lithuania to place orders for Saab’s cutting-edge mobile short-range air defense missile solution, the RBS 70 NG.
The acquisition includes Mobile Firing Units, Mobile Radar Units, a Command- and Control (C2) System, a comprehensive training package, and the RBS 70 NG trainer. Saab will integrate the MSHORAD system into JLTV vehicles manufactured by the American company Oshkosh before delivery.
“We are proud to continue to support the air defence of Lithuania. MSHORAD is our response to the new threats on the battlefield. Saab’s wide expertise makes us able to deliver everything from radar and firing units as well as our command- and control system; the result is the most modern and capable mobile short-range air defence solution on the market,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.
Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, emphasized the importance of this acquisition. “MSHORAD is designed to ensure the protection of certain facilities, areas, and critical infrastructure. The advantage of this system is its mobility, making it an extremely necessary system that will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. We are currently using the older generation RBS 70 air defense system and Bolide missiles.”
The RBS 70 NG Mobile Short Range Air Defence System (MSHORAD) represents a significant upgrade from Lithuania’s current capabilities. The system includes the Mobile Radar Unit based on the Giraffe 1X radar and the Mobile Firing Unit based on the RBS 70 NG, all interconnected through Saab’s Ground-Based Air Defence (GBAD) Command and Control (C2) system. This integration provides a highly mobile, responsive, and effective defense against aerial threats.
