Sweden reactivates RBS15-based mobile coastal defence systems

[Zarvan]

An RBS15 Mk 2 anti-ship missile being fired from a Scania 3 series 8 x 6 mobile coastal defence platform during trials on the Baltic Coast in early 2016 Source: Swedish Defence Material Administration

Key Points

• System reconstituted to RBS15 Mk 2 standard
• First firing trials of a land-based RBS15 Mk 2missile conducted in the Baltic Sea in early 2016.

The Swedish Armed Forces has reactivated a land-based mobile RBS15 coastal defence capability on the Baltic coast, some 16 years after it was decommissioned due to budget cuts.

Rear Admiral Thomas Engevall, Chief of Defence Logistics within the Swedish Armed Forces and responsible for materiel acquisition from Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) told IHS Jane's that the armed forces issued a 'challenge' to Saab Dynamics in early 2015 to determine the feasibility of reactivating and reconstituting the original RBS15M3-based coastal defence system capability to an operationally acceptable-standard within a one-year timeframe.

"Saab was challenged in the springtime of 2015 to look into whether this could be achieved or not. FMV awarded the contract - and a year later we fired. So from challenge to shooting it took a year, but a contract was signed a bit later than the issue of the challenge - so actually the contract time was a bit shorter than a year," Engevall said.

The spur for this initiative, said Engevall, was a high-priority directive from the government to significantly increase operational capability across the entire Swedish Armed Forces by 2020. While the re-activation of the RBS15 mobile coastal systems for the Swedish Navy was not directly specified in the directive, it was clearly 'in the spirit' of the given task. "That directive was issued by the government, and all our efforts are now going into this. So, essentially we have reacted to the political will - but we have also demonstrated that we are able to do things like this."

Stefan Öberg, Vice-President, Saab Dynamics, Head of Missiles Business Unit, told IHS Jane's that the regenerated RBS15 capability was achieved in close cooperation with both the FMV and the armed forces.

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http://www.janes.com/article/66614/sweden-reactivates-rbs15-based-mobile-coastal-defence-systems

 

[Penguin]

http://navyrecognition.com/index.ph...ck-based-rbs15-coastal-defence-batteries.html

Sweden Re-introducing Truck-Based RBS15 Coastal Defence Batteries
Published: Friday, 18 November 2016 16:22
The later version Mk3 (not used yet by Sweden but in use with the German and Polish navies) has the ability to attack land targets as well.

#Sweden has moved Coastal based RBS-15 cruise missile batteries to Gotland for the first time since the Cold War.
14 dec. 2016

https://twitter.com/x/status/809020714233790464

 

[Naif al Hilali]

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/why-sweden-destroying-96-powerful-fighter-jets-could-deter-18660

http://www.newser.com/story/235543/russia-says-it-has-no-plans-to-invade-sweden.html

http://www.ibtimes.com/sweden-boost-defense-spending-counter-russian-threat-baltic-2467477

 

[Basel]

An RBS15 Mk 2 anti-ship missile being fired from a Scania 3 series 8 x 6 mobile coastal defence platform during trials on the Baltic Coast in early 2016 Source: Swedish Defence Material Administration

Key Points

• System reconstituted to RBS15 Mk 2 standard
• First firing trials of a land-based RBS15 Mk 2missile conducted in the Baltic Sea in early 2016.

The Swedish Armed Forces has reactivated a land-based mobile RBS15 coastal defence capability on the Baltic coast, some 16 years after it was decommissioned due to budget cuts.

Rear Admiral Thomas Engevall, Chief of Defence Logistics within the Swedish Armed Forces and responsible for materiel acquisition from Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) told IHS Jane's that the armed forces issued a 'challenge' to Saab Dynamics in early 2015 to determine the feasibility of reactivating and reconstituting the original RBS15M3-based coastal defence system capability to an operationally acceptable-standard within a one-year timeframe.

"Saab was challenged in the springtime of 2015 to look into whether this could be achieved or not. FMV awarded the contract - and a year later we fired. So from challenge to shooting it took a year, but a contract was signed a bit later than the issue of the challenge - so actually the contract time was a bit shorter than a year," Engevall said.

The spur for this initiative, said Engevall, was a high-priority directive from the government to significantly increase operational capability across the entire Swedish Armed Forces by 2020. While the re-activation of the RBS15 mobile coastal systems for the Swedish Navy was not directly specified in the directive, it was clearly 'in the spirit' of the given task. "That directive was issued by the government, and all our efforts are now going into this. So, essentially we have reacted to the political will - but we have also demonstrated that we are able to do things like this."

Stefan Öberg, Vice-President, Saab Dynamics, Head of Missiles Business Unit, told IHS Jane's that the regenerated RBS15 capability was achieved in close cooperation with both the FMV and the armed forces.

Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact




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http://www.janes.com/article/66614/sweden-reactivates-rbs15-based-mobile-coastal-defence-systems

How capable his system is compares to other similar system??

 

[Fenrir]

How capable his system is compares to other similar system??

RBS-15MK3 is larger and outranges most of its competitors like the Japanese Type 88, a Harpoon derivative. However the RBS-15MK2 does not, and there is currently no shore-launched version of the MK3. The batteries reactivated by Sweden are the older RBS-15MK2.

Type 88 - 180km.

Harpoon Block I - +100km. I don't believe there is a coastal launched variant of the Harpoon Block II, which has dual anti-ship/land attack capabilities, where as the Block I does not.

Noor and other C-802 derivatives - 170km.

And the Naval Strike Missile - 185km.

RBS-15Mk2 has a range of about 70km and is physically larger then the above comparable dual land attack/anti-ship missiles, but it lacks the stealth optimized features of the NSM which makes it less survivable.

The ship-launched version of the RBS-15MK3 has new oval shaped canisters, replacing the RBS-15MK2's boxy ones.

Like the Type 88, Harpoon and C-802, the RBS-15 uses radar guidance for target acquisition in tight, typically active homing. This puts it at a disadvantage against ECCM or ship's sweeping for radar emissions (when used for anti-shipping). NSM does not have a radar seeker at all and uses strictly passive forms of guidance like IR, GPS and TERCOM making it much more resilient to electronic countermeasures and impervious to radar decoys.

RBS-15MK2 has a 200kg warhead, which is comparable to the others listed which center around 200kg, some a bit higher some a bit lower, but is a whooping 80kg larger then that of NSM. All are subsonic.

All in all it's a servable platform, but not the most modern system around.

http://www.newser.com/story/235543/russia-says-it-has-no-plans-to-invade-sweden.html

Russia once denied it had a submarine trolling around in Swedish waters... while one - S-363 - was beached on some rocks on the Swedish coast. I guess they're right, it's not actually in the water.

Now I don't think they'd try to or want to invade Sweden either, but we don't typically put much stock in what they say. It's what they do we pay more attention to.

They've been more bothersome recently, back to levels not seen for a few decades, but it's nothing that hasn't been seen before either. Europe's preparedness for this newfound enthusiasm by Russia is questionable though.

But the decision to reactive RBS-15 launchers isn't a response to Denmark this time, its a reaction to Russia, no matter what they say about their intentions.

 

[Basel]

RBS-15MK3 is larger and outranges most of its competitors like the Japanese Type 88, a Harpoon derivative. However the RBS-15MK2 does not, and there is currently no shore-launched version of the MK3. The batteries reactivated by Sweden are the older RBS-15MK2.

Type 88 - 180km.

Harpoon Block I - +100km. I don't believe there is a coastal launched variant of the Harpoon Block II, which has dual anti-ship/land attack capabilities, where as the Block I does not.

Noor and other C-802 derivatives - 170km.

And the Naval Strike Missile - 185km.

RBS-15Mk2 has a range of about 70km and is physically larger then the above comparable dual land attack/anti-ship missiles, but it lacks the stealth optimized features of the NSM which makes it less survivable.

The ship-launched version of the RBS-15MK3 has new oval shaped canisters, replacing the RBS-15MK2's boxy ones.

Like the Type 88, Harpoon and C-802, the RBS-15 uses radar guidance for target acquisition in tight, typically active homing. This puts it at a disadvantage against ECCM or ship's sweeping for radar emissions (when used for anti-shipping). NSM does not have a radar seeker at all and uses strictly passive forms of guidance like IR, GPS and TERCOM making it much more resilient to electronic countermeasures and impervious to radar decoys.

RBS-15MK2 has a 200kg warhead, which is comparable to the others listed which center around 200kg, some a bit higher some a bit lower, but is a whooping 80kg larger then that of NSM. All are subsonic.

All in all it's a servable platform, but not the most modern system around.



Russia once denied it had a submarine trolling around in Swedish waters... while one - S-363 - was beached on some rocks on the Swedish coast. I guess they're right, it's not actually in the water.

Now I don't think they'd try to or want to invade Sweden either, but we don't typically put much stock in what they say. It's what they do we pay more attention to.

They've been more bothersome recently, back to levels not seen for a few decades, but it's nothing that hasn't been seen before either. Europe's preparedness for this newfound enthusiasm by Russia is questionable though.

But the decision to reactive RBS-15 launchers isn't a response to Denmark this time, its a reaction to Russia, no matter what they say about their intentions.

it means that RBS-15MK3 is comparable to C-602G, whereas MK2 with base C-802 or may be C-802A, but seems C-802AKG is better.

Edit.

If NSM can hit ships with out having radar seeker and your said tech then newer Babur CM of Pakistan can also do that.

@Zarvan please note that.

 

[Fenrir]

If NSM can hit ships with out having radar seeker and your said tech then newer Babur CM of Pakistan can also do that.

@Zarvan please note that.

Uhhhh... maybe. If it is to be used as an anti-ship weapon, then DSMAC, a form of automatic target recognition is most probable should Babur not be fitted with a radar or IIR seeker.

NSM uses automatic target recognition to get itself to an area, a form of TERCOM, which requires high levels of processing and for the user to know the profiles of hostile ships, for which Pakistan's data base would be limited, but probably sufficient enough to target Indian vessels. In the terminal phase NSM switches over to high-fidelity IR combined with ATR, which is less foolable then TERCOM or radar homing:

Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance flies these missiles toward their target, aided by terrain profile matching (TERPROM). Internal programming is designed to create an unpredictable, maneuvering flight path that makes targeting difficult. During the final attack phase, an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with automatic target recognizer (ATR) is used to refine final approach targeting, which can reportedly include specific features on a ship. Once NSM locks on, it strikes ships or land targets with a 120 kg/ 265 pound titanium warhead and programmable fuze.

Tomahawk is very well known for its TERCOM, accurate to about 10 meters and able to fly low and fast overland making its approach unpredictable, which is great for striking static targets, but the Block IV introduced an active radar seeker and home-on-ECM capability for striking ships as well.

TERCOM itself doesn't suffice when trying to target ships. It needs to be paired with something like IIR or active radar homing.

You'll notice that NSM (first picture) has a very noticeable IR seeker on its nose. Babur doesn't have one at all. It's possible it could have been fitted with a radar seeker though.

Both use GPS to get themselves into an area. When in that area Babur would switch to DSMAC and NSM to IR guidance coupled with ATR. DSMAC typically isn't used for terminal guidance though, active radar homing or IR is, so how effective using a wide-area search mode of guidance would be for targeting a specific ship in the terminal phase would be is suspect.

Babur doesn't use an IR seeker because it doesn't have one, or a home-on-jam capability, likely has enough ATR capabilities to target Indian ships, though newer ones may requires so investigative work to find our their IR, EM, Radar or other necessary metrics, so it's passive tracking capabilities are likely to be very limited unless an outside party is opening up its target database.

It's most probable that Babur is using DSMAC, which as a stand-alone likely has limitations, if it even has an anti-ship mode at all. Nothing's been verified at this point.

it means that RBS-15MK3 is comparable to C-602G, whereas MK2 with base C-802 or may be C-802A, but seems C-802AKG is better.

Basically yes, though the RBS-15MK3 doesn't have a coastal launcher at the moment, while C-602 does.

In terms of performance they're pretty similar though.

 

[Basel]

Uhhhh... maybe. If it is to be used as an anti-ship weapon, then DSMAC, a form of automatic target recognition is mostly probable should Babur not be fitted with a radar seeker.

NSM uses automatic target recognition, a form of TERCOM, which requires high levels of processing and for the user to know the profiles of hostile ships, for which Pakistan's data base would be limited, but probably sufficient enough to target Indian vessels.

But you'll notice that NSM has a very noticeable IR seeker on its nose. Babur doesn't have one at all.

Both use GPS to get themselves into an area. When in that area Babur would switch to DSMAC and NSM to IR guidance.

Babur doesn't use an IR seeker because it doesn't have one, or a home-on-jam capability, likely has enough ATR capabilities to target Indian ships, though newer ones may requires so investigative work to find our their IR, EM, Radar or other necessary metrics, so it's passive tracking capabilities are likely to be very limited unless an outside party is opening up its target database.

It's most probable that Babur is using DSMAC, if it even has an anti-ship mode at all. Nothing's been verified at this point.

Pakistani military have clearly said that Babur can hit targets at sea, one more thing is that ships position can be provided to babur CM with datalinking it with UAVs or KE AWACS of PAF along with INS/ BeiDou navigation or possibly GPS to get to target.

Pakistan can use Chinese base IIR seeker to upgrade Babur to NSM level or even better with active/passive Radar seeker of Chinese AShMs, it's not huge issue as China will help if asked.

Edit.

Question is, if Pakistan goes for MILIGEM-G then which western AShM will come with it? Harpoons now not possible, so will Swedes' sell RBS-15MK3/4 to Turkey to resell those to Pakistan? Will those AShMs be good to have with MILIGEM-G?

 

[Naif al Hilali]

Uhhhh... maybe. If it is to be used as an anti-ship weapon, then DSMAC, a form of automatic target recognition is most probable should Babur not be fitted with a radar or IIR seeker.

NSM uses automatic target recognition to get itself to an area, a form of TERCOM, which requires high levels of processing and for the user to know the profiles of hostile ships, for which Pakistan's data base would be limited, but probably sufficient enough to target Indian vessels. In the terminal phase NSM switches over to high-fidelity IR combined with ATR, which is less foolable then TERCOM or radar homing:

Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS) guidance flies these missiles toward their target, aided by terrain profile matching (TERPROM). Internal programming is designed to create an unpredictable, maneuvering flight path that makes targeting difficult. During the final attack phase, an imaging infrared (IIR) seeker with automatic target recognizer (ATR) is used to refine final approach targeting, which can reportedly include specific features on a ship. Once NSM locks on, it strikes ships or land targets with a 120 kg/ 265 pound titanium warhead and programmable fuze.

Tomahawk is very well known for its TERCOM, accurate to about 10 meters and able to fly low and fast overland making its approach unpredictable, which is great for striking static targets, but the Block IV introduced an active radar seeker and home-on-ECM capability for striking ships as well.

TERCOM itself doesn't suffice when trying to target ships. It needs to be paired with something like IIR or active radar homing.

You'll notice that NSM (first picture) has a very noticeable IR seeker on its nose. Babur doesn't have one at all. It's possible it could have been fitted with a radar seeker though.

Both use GPS to get themselves into an area. When in that area Babur would switch to DSMAC and NSM to IR guidance coupled with ATR. DSMAC typically isn't used for terminal guidance though, active radar homing or IR is, so how effective using a wide-area search mode of guidance would be for targeting a specific ship in the terminal phase would be is suspect.

Babur doesn't use an IR seeker because it doesn't have one, or a home-on-jam capability, likely has enough ATR capabilities to target Indian ships, though newer ones may requires so investigative work to find our their IR, EM, Radar or other necessary metrics, so it's passive tracking capabilities are likely to be very limited unless an outside party is opening up its target database.

It's most probable that Babur is using DSMAC, which as a stand-alone likely has limitations, if it even has an anti-ship mode at all. Nothing's been verified at this point.



Basically yes, though the RBS-15MK3 doesn't have a coastal launcher at the moment, while C-602 does.

In terms of performance they're pretty similar though.

thanks, exactly my thoughts on the matter

@Khafee better answer to your question than mine from last month

I like Imaging Infra-Red (and Home-on-Jam if implementable) for Anti-Shipping use. The target library is important and hard to collate (not as much for the Chinese, Americans, and French though - the last two are past masters at it and whatever the Americans - and by proxy, the Israelis - have, the Chinese end up getting half of).

Pattern Recognition and Matching algorithms are widely available now but I remember when in the nascent days of Robotics and AI, we assumed it would all be done by 1980 or so. Turned out to be so much more difficult. What babies, birds, and bees are innately born with required 30 years to bring to some sort of limited practical use scenario.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Pakistani military have clearly said that Babur can hit targets at sea, one more thing is that ships position can be provided to babur CM with datalinking it with UAVs or KE AWACS of PAF along with INS/ BeiDou navigation or possibly GPS to get to target.

Pakistan can use Chinese base IIR seeker to upgrade Babur to NSM level or even better with active/passive Radar seeker of Chinese AShMs, it's not huge issue as China will help if asked.

Edit.

Question is, if Pakistan goes for MILIGEM-G then which western AShM will come with it? Harpoons now not possible, so will Swedes' sell RBS-15MK3/4 to Turkey to resell those to Pakistan? Will those AShMs be good to have with MILIGEM-G?

It is highly unlikely that any contract with Turkey would allow reexporting to Pakistan.

 

[Penguin]

RBS-15MK3 is larger and outranges most of its competitors like the Japanese Type 88, a Harpoon derivative. However the RBS-15MK2 does not, and there is currently no shore-launched version of the MK3. The batteries reactivated by Sweden are the older RBS-15MK2.

The development of the RBS-15 Mk. III began in the mid-1990s. Emphasis was put on increased range (due to larger fuel capacity and new fuel the range has been increased to some 200 km), improved accuracy (integrated GPS) and selectable priority targeting, which improved the weapon system's flexibility. The Mk. III missile will also be produced by Diehl BGT Defence of Germany for the new class of German stealth corvettes, and is likely to be later used on other German Navy vessels as well. Finnish truck maker Sisu produces missile launch trucks for RBS-15. The Mk. III has been in production since 2004.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RBS-15

RBS15 Mk3 is the latest generation Surface-to-Surface Missile System. It is a fire-and-forget, subsonic cruise type missile with all weather capability. It can be launched from ships, trucks and aircraft and is intended for anti-ship missions and land strikes.
http://saab.com/land/weapon-systems...ystems/rbs15_mk3_surface_to_surface_missile1/

http://club.mil.news.sina.com.cn/thread-17296-1-1.html

http://saab.com/about-saab/sites/europe/euronaval/news2/the-new-generation-of-missile/

The Saab/Diehl missile RBS15 Mk3 mounted to a Scania chassis truck


The RBS15 Mk3 is the latest generation of surface-to-surface missile made y the Swedish company Saab and the German Company Diehl. The system is excellent as main anti surface armament for any type of naval vessel. The RBS15 Mk3 is designed to operate in the naval scenario, from anti-ship engagement in blue to littoral waters as well as land attack missions. The missile has a range of more than 200 km. This can be used to achieve great stand-off, utilizing over the horizon targeting or make tactical use of the extremely flexible trajectory with is larges numbers of both horizontal and vertical waypoints. The missile can be launched from ships, trucks and aircraft. At the International Defence Exhibition MSPO 2008, Saab show the missile mounted to the chassis of a Scania truck. The RBS15 Mk3 is produced and marketed jointly by Saab Bofors dynamics, Sweden and Diehl BGT Defence, Germany.
The RBS15 family has been in operation since the early 1980s and the latest generation, the Mk 3, utilizes the best of German and Swedish missile system technology. The system has been contracted by several navies, such as NATO members Germany and Poland.

http://www.armyrecognition.com/2008...dustry_exhibition_pictures_kielce_poland.html