Saab receives MSHORAD air defence order from Lithuania
On 9 July, Saab received an order from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence (MoD) for deliveries of Saab’s Mobile Short Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) solution. MSHORAD is Saab’s mobile air defence solution. The system consists of the Mobile Radar Unit based on the Giraffe 1X radar, the Mobile Firing Unit based on the RBS 70 NG, all connected with Saab’s GBAD C2 system.
The recent order is placed within a framework agreement between Saab, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and the Lithuanian MoD which allows Lithuania to place orders for Saab’s mobile short-range air defence missile solution RBS 70 NG. The order includes Mobile Firing Units, Mobile Radar Units, a Command- and Control (C2) System, a training package and the RBS 70 NG trainer.
Saab will integrate MSHORAD into JLTV vehicles manufactured by American company Oshkosh before delivery to the customer. “MSHORAD is designed to ensure the protection of certain facilities, areas and critical infrastructure. The advantage of this system is mobility, so it is an extremely necessary system that will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces”, said Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence, Laurynas Kasčiūnas.
Lithuania – the gateway to Europe
Lithuania already spends around 3% of its gross domestic product on the defence industry. This puts the country in the top 10 in NATO in terms of the amount it spends in relation to the size of its economy, and yet it does not seem to be enough at the moment. The list of requirements is very comprehensive: modern radar systems, anti-tank weapons, ground-based air defence systems and camouflage technology are on it, as are new training and simulation facilities. However, the fact is, that Lithuania together with Latvia and Estonia is the gateway to Europe and plays an essential role for NATO and the entire continent.
Saab's Mobile Short-Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) solution unites the Giraffe 1X radar, C2 command and control communication platform, and RBS 70 NG Remote Weapon Station (RWS) for quick and effective identification and counteraction of air threats. MSHORAD will detect any target, react and strike when time is of the essence. The solution provides a highly mobile and formidable anti-air capability to effectively identify, deter, or neutralize airborne threats.
Tactical advantages with MSHORAD
Saab's new Mobile Short Range Air Defence (MSHORAD) system provides protection for manoeuvre units of ground forces and as the vehicle is armoured, increasing the chances of survival on the battlefield. Compared to stationary systems, MSHORAD is much more flexible, as it combines the Giraffe 1X radar, command and control assets and a mobile firing unit armed with a triple RBS 70 NG launcher, optimised for rapid and accurate identification and elimination of detected air threats. In doing so, the MSHORAD system provides its users with several key tactical advantages.
The first of these is high mobility, allowing it to be deployed quickly where it is needed or to leave the site quickly if it is threatened by enemy fire. Secondly, the RBS 70 NG's sight can be quickly and easily removed from the vehicle and installed on a portable launcher, giving users an additional capability for operational tasks. This flexibility is desirable, for example, in situations where you wish to conceal the vehicle and deploy only the portable MANPADS, or if you need to place the RBS 70 NG on an elevated location, such as the roof of a building. Thirdly, the best ratio between MFU (Mobile Firing Unit) and MRU (Mobile Radar Unit) vehicles is three to four to one, but given the modularity of the entire complex, it is up to each customer to choose a particular solution - whether it is a mix of multiple MFUs or multiple MRUs.
The RBS 70 NG kit has a number of advantages over the older RBS 70. First of all, thanks to the more modern sight, the effective range has increased, both horizontally and vertically. The biggest advantage is the new ability to shoot targets in automatic mode. The operator has the option to lock the target before firing. The actual guidance of the missile to the target is done by the computer. The guidance is thus more precise and faster than if it were done manually by an operator. However, the RBS 70 NG kits still allow manual guidance of the missile to the target in addition to the automatic mode. The new sight is designed for use in all climatic conditions. Thanks to the integrated thermal imaging it is possible to reliably track targets day and night. The sight can also be used as a sensor to detect potential threats.
Air superiority from the ground
Radars for ground-based defence, such as Giraffe 1X, give forces air superiority from the ground. They protect forces, securing their freedom to manoeuvre and support air superiority built on actual real-time control. Giraffe 1X is a compact high performing 3D radar with an ideal air surveillance component in the Ground Based Air Defence domain. The radar can detect fixed and rotary wing targets, fast missiles and RAM targets as well as small UAVs in high-clutter environments. It covers the entire search volume every second and provides forces with early warning. The total system weighs less than 150 kg with a topside weight of 100 kg. The state-of-the-art Giraffe 1X radar combines operational flexibility, multitasking and multi-purpose capability, with the ability to track up to 600 airborne and other types of targets simultaneously. It provides commanders with reliable target data for destroying them with firepower.
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