The Irish Army has completed live firing trials of its RBS 70 and RBS 70 NG short-range ground-based air defence missile systems.
The trials were conducted at the Bofors Test Center in Karlskoga, Sweden, over four days to improve Irish soldiers’ ability to engage both aerial and static targets.
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Irish Army lieutenant colonel Noel Murphy said: “The RBS 70 system is a reliable air defence system which is easy to use. It has been in service with our army for many years and we have used it in various environments for protection of national events and state visits.
“Defence force operators consider it a system which they can rely on no matter the weather conditions or countermeasures.”
During the live firing exercise, officers, operators and technicians from the army’s Artillery Corps and Ordnance Corps fired ten missiles against aerial and static surface targets.
Eight missiles were fired from the RBS 70 system, while two were fired from the new RBS 70 NG launcher.
Saab Dynamics business area head and senior vice-president Görgen Johansson said: “The firing was a huge success with great results from the operators engaging the targets, both with the RBS 70 and the RBS 70 NG.
“We have been working closely with the Irish Army in supporting their ambition to improve their air defence capability and we will continue doing so in the future. We are looking forward to more firings together with the customer.”
To date, 19 countries have procured more than 1,600 RBS 70 systems, including more than 18,000 missiles.
