RBS 70 MSHORAD boosts Czech air defence

The Czech MoD has finalised a contract with Saab for the procurement of 24 RBS 70 mobile short-range air defence (MSHORAD) systems, according to a July 22 MoD press release. The missiles will be mounted on a domestically manufactured vehicle called MARS, produced by Czech company SVOS. 

The RBS 70 MSHORAD vehicles will equip Czechia’s 25th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and deliveries are expected to take place between 2028 and 2030, the press release states. This procurement addresses the Czech armed forces’ need for a more mobile way to deploy their existing RBS 70 air defence systems, which are currently man-portable. “We are responding to the nature of contemporary conflicts, where mobility and protection of forces are a priority,” explained Colonel Jaroslav Daverný, commander of the 25th Anti-Aircraft Regiment.

However, this acquisition does not mean the Czech forces will abandon the RBS 70 in its man-portable configuration. The procurement includes another eight RBS 70 systems in that configuration, as well as 80 additional missiles. The total value of the contract is €167.4 million (£145 million), and the new systems will supplement the existing stock of 16 older RBS 70s and 16 newer RBS 70 NGs, the press release states. All of them will be used by the 25th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment. 

Sweden has also donated RBS 70 systems to Ukraine, both from its existing stocks and through fresh procurements from Saab. In Ukraine, man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) have proven invaluable in threatening Russian helicopters, close air support aircraft, and reconnaissance UAVs. The UK announced a £1.6 billion funding package in March that would enable Ukraine to procure up to 5,000 Light Multirole Missiles for that very reason. So, the Czech Republic’s decision to increase its SHORAD capabilities through the RBS 70, and especially through a mobile version, makes a lot of sense. 

Tech profile: RBS 70 MSHORAD

Mounting a MANPADS onto a vehicle is an effective way to improve mobility and the useability of air defence systems. Credit: SVOS

The complete system is referred to by various names, but RBS 70 MSHORAD seems to be the most apt. The system includes the vehicle-mounted missile launcher with three missiles, and a separate platform carrying a Giraffe radar. Both are carried by the MARS protected 4×4 from SVOS, which also seems to be known as the S330. This suggests that the Czech procurement is for a number of systems – perhaps one MSHORAD vehicle with one radar vehicle indicating 12 systems in total, for instance. Both are connected through Saab’s ground-based air defence command and control system. 

The RBS 70 NG uses laser guidance and an optical sensor to conduct engagements out to 9,000 metres and at altitudes up to 5,000 metres. The latter would enable the system to reach most reconnaissance UAVs like the Orlan-10. The sight for the MANPADS version includes thermal imaging and an automatic target tracker to assist the operator in following and engaging a target, capabilities that will presumably be carried over to the mobile SHORAD version. 

The RBS 70 MSHORAD system was developed in a partnership between Saab and SVOS that has been active since 2019 and the vehicle was first presented in 2022.  A MARS vehicle was sent to Saab for missile integration and to support testing in the Czech Republic. “Functional tests in Sweden went as expected and confirmed the top performance of the entire system, which meets the needs of a modern army,” General Director of SVOS, spol. s.r.o. Jaroslav Černý said in an earlier SVOS press release. A total of five test firings have been conducted “against a variety of targets, including a drone and an elevated helicopter airframe. During one firing scenario, the vehicle mounted sight was taken off and reconfigured as a man portable firing unit. A night firing was also conducted against a towed target,” according to Saab.

Calibre comment

The ISTAR battle refers to the competition for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) dominance that occurs between two peer forces. It is constantly being fought in Ukraine, and when one side successfully secures ISTAR supremacy for a period, it can rapidly write down the other side’s capabilities and inflict heavy losses. In this context, destroying enemy drones reduces their ability to conduct reconnaissance and cause damage, and mobile capabilities like the RBS 70 MSHORAD are critical in this regard.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on July 23, 2025. Credit for the lead image is Saab, it shows the RBS 70 MSHORAD system including the radar and launch vehicle.