Poland Orders RBS15 Missiles for its Navy

RBS-15 fire-and-forget missiles grew out of Sweden’s need for missiles that excelled in littoral warfare situations like Sweden’s fractured coastlines and innumerable bays. They have a longer reach and heavier punch than counterparts like the USA’s Harpoon; the RBS15 Mk3 has a range up to 200 km (120 miles) but a weight of 800 kg (1,750 pounds) and corresponding size. A set of rocket boosters are used to launch the missiles, after which they use their turbojets until target impact. They can be fired from ships, land vehicles, or aircraft to hit ships or land targets as required, using a combination of radar and GPS guidance during an stealthy, terrain-hugging approach that includes programming for indirect attack vectors, evasive maneuvers, and re-attacks. Additional features like salvo launch, which allows several missiles to arrive at the same target simultaneously from different directions, increase the missile’s lethality.

Note that Saab has never released public domain range figures. 200 km/ 125 miles is the RBS15 Mk3’s estimated operational range given flight profile variances; its maximum range is commonly believed to be about 250 km/ 155 miles. The earlier RBS15 Mk2 has a reputed 100 km/ 60 mile operational range, and 150 km/ 90 mile maximum range.

Updates

October 18/18: A new variant will be launched soon Saab will launch a new version of its RBS15 Gungnir anti-ship missile system at Euronaval next week, the company says on its website. The surface launch version of the RBS15 uses the latest Mk4 missile variant. The RBS15 Mk4 development and production program started in March 2017 and incorporates a highly advanced target seeker and a range of more than 186 miles. This variant provides greater range, an enhanced defense penetration and electronic protection capability and the ability to precisely strike targets in adverse weather conditions. “With the RBS15 Gungnir we continue to build on the success and knowledge we have gained from the previous generations of RBS15. The surface launch version is a highly flexible missile system that can be integrated with existing command networks and on a wide range of the ships available on the market today”, says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and head of Saab business area Dynamics.

July 18/18: Mk4 introduced Swedish defense contractor Saab is unveiling its next generation RBS15 Gungnir anti-ship missile system. The RBS15 missile family is optimized for the littoral environment. According to the company the Gungnir will be offered in both air-launched and surface-launched configurations, a highly advanced target seeker and a range of more than 186 miles. The system is backwards compatible to that it can easily be integrated with the Mk3 system. RBS-15 fire-and-forget missiles grew out of Sweden’s need for missiles that excelled in littoral warfare situations like Sweden’s fractured coastlines and innumerable bays. They have a longer reach and heavier punch than counterparts like the Harpoon. The option to engage targets from the air, as well as from land and sea gives the ability to perform coordinated attacks, with multiple missiles, against a wide range of naval and land-based targets thereby increasing mission flexibility and success. The RBS15 Mk4 development and production program started in March 2017. One month later a first order with a value of $362 million was placed, with deliveries to take place from 2017 to 2026.

April 20/17: Saab has been contracted by the Polish Navy to conduct maintenance and logistics support for the service’s RBS15 MK3 surface-to-surface missile system. First bought by Warsaw in 2006, the RBS15 system has been used by Poland as a naval defense platform and has been typically integrated on the country’s three Orkan-class fast attack craft. Produced jointly by Saab and Germany’s Diehl Defense, the system features a prelaunch programmable active radar seeker, which enables a fire-and-forget capability in all weather conditions.

April 5/11: Jane’s Maritime Review reports that the first batch of at least 2 Saab Bofors Dynamics RBS15 Mk 3 surface-to-surface antiship missiles was delivered to the Polish Navy “around mid-February 2011”, adding that:

“Poland’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has not confirmed the delivery. According to the current delivery plan 12 missiles should be handed over during 2011 while the remaining 24 should arrive by the end of 2012.”

Oct 6/06: Saab Bofors Dynamics and the Polish companies MESKO and BUMAR sign a contract for production of the RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missile. MESKO and BUMAR are procuring the RBS15 Mk3 on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Defence, and the contract value is EUR 110 million (about $140 million). See Saab release