- Side
- Ukraine
Oryx lists Swedish RBS-56 BILL anti-tank guided missiles among equipment delivered or pledged to Ukraine before March 2023, and Defence24 reported RBS 56 visible in Ukrainian hands during the full-scale war.
Role detailsMunitions
Bofors BILL anti-tank guided missile
Also known as
- BILL
- BILL 1
- BILL 2
- RBS 56 BILL
- RB 56
- Robot 56
- RBS 56B BILL 2
- Bofors Infantry Light and Lethal anti-tank missile
Bofors BILL is a Swedish wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built around an overfly top-attack flight path, allowing the warhead to strike armor from above rather than through frontal armor. Bofors developed the original RBS 56 BILL after a 1979 order, Saab describes BILL 2 as the later dual-warhead upgrade, and open-source transfer tracking documents Swedish RBS-56 BILL missiles delivered or pledged to Ukraine before March 2023.
Role in Conflicts
Employment Context
Public evidence for Ukraine currently supports transfer and fielding context, not a named launch event or unit-level engagement. Oryx places RBS-56 BILLs in Sweden's Ukraine aid record before March 2023, and Defence24 reported the system visible in Ukrainian hands.
- Role: anti-armor guided missile supplied to Ukraine.
- Evidence limit: delivery, possession, and fielding evidence is stronger than public firing-event documentation.
- Claim boundary: the available public claim is delivery and Ukrainian possession, not a verified firing event or kill claim.
Profile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Sweden
- Type
- Overfly top-attack anti-tank guided missile
- Service note
- Cold War-era design still documented in wartime transfers
- Designer
- Bofors
- Designed
- 1979-1982
- Produced
- 1988 onward
Specifications
- Crew
- Normally handled by two operators; short-distance ready-to-fire carriage is possible as one load
- Guidance
- SACLOS command guidance over trailing wire
- Attack profile
- Overfly top-attack; Arboga Robotmuseum gives nominal flight paths of 0.8 m above the sightline for RB 56 and 1.2 m for RB 56B
- Range
- BILL 2 effective range of 150 m to 2,200 m
- Launch and speed
- Missile leaves the launch tube at about 72 m/s and accelerates to about 250 m/s
- Warhead
- BILL 2/RB 56B uses two downward-directed warheads instead of the original single angled warhead
- Portable system
- Missile, launch tube, tripod, 7x day sight, and thermal imaging sight
- Firing modes
- BILL 2 offers armored-target, soft-target, and non-armored/direct-attack modes
- Vehicle integration
- BILL 2 can be mounted on wheeled or tracked vehicles and can also be dismounted for tripod use
- Ukraine documentation
- RBS-56 BILL deliveries or pledges to Ukraine were documented by Oryx before March 2023
Top-Attack Design
The BILL family was built around a roof-attack solution rather than a simple frontal-armor shot. Saab's history says Bofors pursued a missile that would strike the tank roof, and Arboga Robotmuseum describes a missile path above the sightline with wire-transmitted steering commands from the sight.
Guidance
The gunner keeps the target in the day or thermal sight while commands travel to the missile over a wire.
Attack Geometry
Arboga Robotmuseum gives nominal overflight paths of 0.8 m for RB 56 and 1.2 m for RB 56B.
Warhead Logic
RB 56B/BILL 2 changed from one angled warhead to two downward-directed warheads and a more sophisticated proximity-fuze system.
Variants
The BILL family centers on the original RBS 56/BILL 1 and the later RBS 56B/BILL 2 upgrade, both retaining the overfly top-attack concept.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| RBS 56 BILL | Original Swedish overfly top-attack missile | Saab's history says Bofors received the development order in 1979, demonstrated the first prototype in 1982, and began serial deliveries in 1988; Arboga Robotmuseum describes it as the original Swedish RBS 56 system. Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles, RBS56 |
| RBS 56B BILL 2 | Dual-warhead improved variant | Saab and Arboga Robotmuseum describe BILL 2/RB 56B as the version with two downward-directed warheads, while Army Technology adds the three selectable firing modes and vehicle-mounting options. Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles, RBS56, BILL 2 Anti-Tank Guided Weapon |
Integration Demonstrators
BILL 2 was also tested in vehicle-installation concepts beyond the tracked Bandvagn anti-tank carrier.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Infantry fighting vehicle demonstrator | Army Technology says FMV awarded Saab Bofors a contract in 2000 for a technology demonstrator integrating BILL 2 into the turret of a Bofors Defence CV 9040 combat vehicle. Sources: BILL 2 Anti-Tank Guided Weapon |
Carrier Vehicles
The BILL family appears on the Bandvagn 2063 carrier variant for anti-tank defence.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked carrier vehicle | European Security & Defence describes the Pansarvarnsrobotbandvagn 2063 as a Bandvagn 206 variant equipped with TOW and BILL weapon systems for anti-tank defence. Sources: Mounted Missiles |
Timeline
Bofors BILL anti-tank guided missile Key Events
Future anti-tank missile studies ordered
Saab's history says Sweden ordered both Saab and Bofors to study a future missile against all types of tanks, leading Bofors engineers toward a top-attack concept.
Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles
Development ordered
Bofors received the order to develop BILL, the Bofors Infantry Light and Lethal anti-tank missile.
Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles
First prototype shown
Saab's history says the first BILL prototype was demonstrated in 1982.
Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles
Serial deliveries begin
Saab's history says serial deliveries of BILL began in 1988, and Arboga Robotmuseum says RBS 56 was introduced into Swedish service that year.
Sources: Saab history: From infantry guns to missiles, RBS56
CV 9040 integration demonstrator
Army Technology says FMV awarded Saab Bofors a contract to demonstrate BILL 2 integration in the turret of a Bofors Defence CV 9040 combat vehicle.
Sources: BILL 2 Anti-Tank Guided Weapon
BILL 2 export order announced
Saab said BILL 2 would engage moving and static targets at ranges up to 2,200 metres and was wire guided, immune to jamming, and designed to attack from above.
Sources: Saab receives billion order
RBS-56 BILL appears in Sweden-to-Ukraine tracking
Oryx listed Swedish RBS-56 BILL missiles among anti-tank guided missiles delivered or pledged to Ukraine, with the delivery timing marked before March 2023; Defence24 also described RBS 56 as visible in Ukrainian hands.
Sources: No Assembly Required: Swedish Arms Deliveries To Ukraine, Swedish ATGM spotted in Ukraine
Media
Bofors BILL anti-tank guided missile Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
Saab history: From infantry guns to missilesPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the 1974 study context, 1979 development order, 1982 prototype, 1988 serial deliveries, Bofors/Saab lineage, and BILL 2 dual-charge upgrade context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Saab receives billion orderPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the BILL 2 overfly top-attack role, range up to 2,200 metres, wire guidance, and jamming-immunity claim. | Accessed: 2026-07-03BILL 2 Anti-Tank Guided WeaponPublisher: Army Technology | Note: Supports BILL 2 system composition, SACLOS wire guidance, range, firing modes, dual-warhead description, and vehicle-mounting context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03RBS56Publisher: Arboga Robotmuseum | Note: Supports RBS 56 Swedish service context, two-operator handling, total system weight, launch-tube speed, maximum missile speed, SACLOS wire-command operation, night-sight integration, RB 56/RB 56B overflight heights, and RB 56B dual-warhead distinction. | Accessed: 2026-07-03RBS-56 BILL anti-tank missile systemPublisher: Missilery.info | Note: Supports additional technical background for the original BILL system, including the top-attack trajectory, SACLOS wire guidance, launch-tube missile dimensions, and night-sight context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03No Assembly Required: Swedish Arms Deliveries To UkrainePublisher: Oryx | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source: directly supports Swedish RBS-56 BILL missiles delivered or pledged to Ukraine during Russia's full-scale invasion, with the Oryx list marking them before March 2023. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Swedish ATGM spotted in UkrainePublisher: Defence24 | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War source: directly supports RBS 56 visible in Ukrainian hands and states that some of these Swedish anti-tank effectors reached Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-07-03RBS-56B Bill 2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance source for the Bill 2 missile image; the Commons file page provides attribution and reuse details. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Infanteriesoldaten trainieren (27136133680).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance source for the missile training image; the Commons file page provides attribution and reuse details. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Mounted MissilesPublisher: European Security & Defence | Note: Supports the Bandvagn 2063 carrier relationship by describing a Bv 206 variant fitted with TOW and BILL weapon systems for anti-tank defence. | Accessed: 2026-07-03