RBS-70 NG Bolide: Laser-Guided Short-Range Air Defence System — Specs, 19 Operators and HISAR Comparison

The RBS-70 NG (Robotsystem 70 Next Generation) with the Bolide missile is Saab’s laser beam-riding short-range air defence system, and arguably the most combat-proven man-portable surface-to-air missile system currently in NATO service that is not a classic infrared seeker weapon. Since 1977 more than 1,600 systems and 18,000 missiles have been delivered to over 19 nations. Where most SHORAD systems in its class use infrared homing — making them susceptible to flares and IRCM jammers — RBS-70 NG guides on a coded laser beam that no currently fielded infrared countermeasure can interrupt. Lithuania’s SEK 3 billion (approximately $280 million) contract signed in 2025 confirmed continued strong demand in an environment where NATO’s eastern flank is remilitarising at pace.

Why Laser Beam Riding?

The decision to use laser beam-riding guidance rather than passive infrared (IR) homing was made in the late 1960s and has proved strategically correct. An IR seeker locks onto the heat signature of an aircraft’s engine; a sufficiently hot flare ejected behind the aircraft can seduce the missile away from its target. A coded laser beam cannot be seduced: the missile rides the beam’s coded modulation regardless of what the target does thermally. The operator must keep the beam on the target throughout flight — a limitation — but in return gains near-total immunity to IRCM countermeasures that have neutralised most IR-homing MANPADS.

Technical Specifications

Operators (Selected)

19+ nations including Sweden, Norway, Finland, UAE, Singapore, Pakistan, Australia, Indonesia, Tunisia, Lithuania and others.

Key Contracts (2024–2025)

Strengths

• ECM/IRCM immunity: flares and infrared jammers do not affect laser guidance
• Wide target envelope: aircraft, helicopters, drones, cruise missiles
• Tripod-portable with BORC thermal sight for night engagement
• 45-year operational service history with documented combat use

Limitations

• SACLOS guidance: operator must maintain sight-line on target throughout flight
• 9 km range does not close the medium- or long-range air-defence gap
• Effectiveness against hypersonic threats is limited

Competitive Landscape

Why It Matters for Turkey

Turkey’s direct equivalent is the ROKETSAN HİSAR family (HİSAR-A, HİSAR-O, HİSAR-O+). The HİSAR-O+ outranges RBS-70 NG at 15 km versus 9 km, and its radar guidance reduces operator dependency. However, RBS-70 NG’s laser-guidance ECM immunity remains a significant advantage in dense electronic-warfare environments, where radar-guided systems may face jamming. The two systems are more complementary than competitive, occupying overlapping but not identical threat envelopes. For Turkey’s export ambitions with HİSAR, demonstrating comparable ECM resistance in a NATO testing environment would strengthen the sales case.

Bottom Line

RBS-70 NG’s laser-guidance philosophy has been validated over 45 years and in multiple operational environments. Lithuania’s SEK 3 billion order and ongoing NATO procurement confirm that the system’s ECM immunity is viewed as worth paying for as electronic warfare proliferates across the modern battlespace. Turkey’s HİSAR family is technically competitive; closing the gap in export reference nations and NATO exercise visibility is the next step in positioning it as a credible regional alternative.