"The Giraffe 1X radar, combined with the RBS 70 NG, will further strengthen Latvia’s air defence capabilities by enabling improved performance," said Saab.
“Our wide knowledge within ground-based air defence enables us to offer a complete solution within the area. With this order, the Latvian National Armed Forces will receive the Giraffe 1X radar with its best-in-class capabilities, as well as the world’s most capable short-range air defence system RBS 70 NG,” said Mats-Olof Rydberg, head of Marketing and Sales, Saab’s business unit Missile Systems.
RBS 70 NG is used by a number of nations across the world, including Sweden, the Czech Republic and Brazil. The latest version offers an automatic target tracker and a built-in night sight. Giraffe 1X can be used for tasks including ground based air defence, Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) and site protection as well as naval applications for all types of vessels, Saab said.
Deliveries will begin before the end of this year, Saab added. No mention was made of how many units have been ordered or the cost.
The RBS 70 NG is described as being "a highly flexible, scalable and long-term solution to evolving Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) requirements". It has a range of up to 9 kilometers, a maximum altitude of 5 kilometers, and Mach 2 velocity, with a reloading time of less than 5 seconds.
The acronym RBS is Swedish for missile system (robotsystem). It was first launched in 1977 and has been constantly developed since. It is now in its fourth generation.
