Lithuania Orders RBS 70 NG Mobile Short-Range Air Defense Systems (MSHORAD) From Saab For Its Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV)
On July 9, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense’s Defense Resources Agency announced that it had ordered the RBS 70 NG mobile short-range air defense system (MSHORAD) from the Swedish company Saab Defense and Security to combat unmanned aerial vehicles, which have recently become a growing problem on the battlefield. This contract was part of a framework agreement previously signed between the Swedish Ministry of Defense’s FMV (Försvarets materielverk) military procurement agency and the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, which allowed Vilnius to place an order for the RBS 70 NG.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, the total value of the contract is €147 million (approximately US$160 million), which includes mobile firing units, mobile radar units, a command and control (C2) system, a comprehensive training package, and the RBS 70 NG training simulator. Lithuania will receive these systems between 2025 and 2027, and they will be integrated with Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) purchased from the American company Oshkosh. Previously, Lithuania ordered a total of 500 JLTVs under two separate agreements with US government officials in 2019 and 2022. 235 of these vehicles have already been delivered to Lithuania, and the remaining 265 are expected to arrive by the end of 2026.
Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics, stated about the agreement: “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.”
Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas added by saying, “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. We are currently using the older generation RBS 70 air defense system and Bolide missiles.”
Lithuania’s purchase of the RBS 70 NG is one of several initiatives undertaken in recent years to improve its military’s ability to counter enemy air attacks. To this end, the Baltic country has previously purchased a number of systems, including the NASAMS air defense system developed by Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace and Raytheon, AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, additional Grom MANPADS from Poland, Lockheed Martin AN/TPS-77 radars, and Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission Compact (GM200 MM/C) radars. Some of these purchases were made with US aid funds so that Lithuania could meet its NATO commitments. In addition to these, the Vilnius government intends to purchase IRIS-T SLM (Medium Range Ground-Based Air Defense) from Germany.