Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkSheppard
OBAT 066 Sweden
Unit 386 RBS-103 Patriot has IOCed with the Swedish military as of 17 December 2021.
Also:
Unit 189 RBS-56 TI ATGM
Unit 203 RBS-56B ATGM
It appears that the BILL system was removed from service in 2013 by the Swedish military as a cost cutting measure and the excess units sold to SAAB.
It seems that the Swedish armed forces have changed their mind on that. The RBS-56 BILL systems are being bought back from SAAB, albeit with new sighting systems and other modifications.
This is intended to be an interim solution until the MMP ATGM becomes available from 2025 onwards.
|
As of fairly late Sweden has ditched the "Farawayistan Doctrine" where smaller professional forces were meant to deploy to places like Kosovo or Affe (Afghanistan) and battle insurgents armed with AKs/RPGs/IEDs and has begun to reorient focus back to the defence of Sweden itself against a Russian threat.
In doing this some equipment previously in storage has been dusted off and put into units - this is called doing a "Bydén" after the current commander Michael Bydén.
This included truck mounted RBS-15 anti-ship missile systems, RBS-90 SAM systems and it seems the RBS-56 ATGM.
The 40 or so stored chassis for the aborted CV90 based AMOS SP-mortar systems were used for a less capable sp-mortar system pushed through quickly to give battalions something better than towed 120mm weapons.
A few remaining demonstration RBS 23 Bamse mid range SAMs were also brought out from storage and put into units and deployed to Gotland. This system was meant to cover the range beyond RBS 70/90 and the HAWK systems but was discontinued, except for the handful (about a platoon or company's worth) now on Gotland. The unit type does not exist in winSPMBT but there are only a handful and no news of any new production.
The Patriots were bought in competition with a French system and AFIKN Sweden's aims to buy another SAM-system with ground launched IRIS-T. No idea when though...