Defense and security company Saab Monday said it signed an approximately $12.4 million contract for deliveries of the RBS 70Very Short Range Air Defense system (VSHORAD) to the Brazilian Army.
The first deliveries are scheduled during this year.
Photo: Saab
The deal comprises an undisclosed number of RBS 70 man-portable launchers, Mk II type missiles, simulators, night vision equipment, a test set, maintenance tools, spares, associated equipment, and training for the weapon’s operators and maintainers.
The systems are among others intended to protect Brazil’s strategic infrastructure and would be employed in protection of major incoming events, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“This is very positive and it further proves the capability of the RBS 70 system which, by this contract, has been acquired by 19 countries located on all five continents. The system´s unique capabilities, reliability and very low life-cycle cost are highly appreciated by all users in different exacting environments,” said Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s Business Area Dynamics.
Saab’s short-range ground based air defense missile systems comprise the RBS 70 and the further enhanced RBS 70 NG. Nineteen countries have procured more than 1,600 RBS 70 systems, including more than 17,000 missiles.
The new RBS 70 NG is designed to build on this success improving the VSHORAD capability even further. An accurate, un-jammable laser-guided missile system, the RBS 70 and RBS 70 NG, is unaffected by countermeasures, heat sources and clutter. The RBS 70 NG sight can be applied in a multitude of system configurations ranging from a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) to remotely controlled vehicles and others as well as ship integrated air defense systems. The sight is designed to be used with all existing and future generations of the RBS 70 missile family.
The various system configurations make RBS 70 and RBS 70 NG highly suitable for static ground based air defense of important infrastructure, protection of mobile units or for event protection.