Munitions

RBS 70 Mk 3 Bolide

Also known as
  • RBS-70 Mk-3 Bolide
  • RBS 70 Bolide
  • Bolide missile
  • RBS 70 Mk3
  • RBS-70 Mk3
  • RBS 70 NG Bolide
  • RB 70 Bolide

The RBS 70 Mk 3 Bolide is Saab Bofors Dynamics' all-target missile for the Swedish RBS 70 short-range air-defense family. It keeps the line's laser beam-riding guidance while giving RBS 70 NG a Mach 2 interceptor for aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, UAVs, and selected ground targets. Public Ukraine sources identify RBS 70 systems and ammunition in Ukrainian service, but reviewed sources do not cleanly identify the exact missile lots as Bolide, so this entry is kept as a relationship-only munition page.

RBS 70 Mk 3 Bolide, Laser beam-riding short-range surface-to-air missile, Munitions
Image source: File:RBS-70 in Lithuanian Air Force.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Sweden
Type
Laser beam-riding short-range surface-to-air missile
Service note
2003-present RBS 70 missile family
Designer
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Designed
Early 2000s
Produced
2000s-present

Specifications

Guidance
Laser beam-riding missile in the RBS 70 family
Compatible system
RBS 70 NG and legacy RBS 70 launch architecture able to reuse RBS 70 missile generations up to Bolide
Effective range
220-9,000 m for RBS 70 NG with its missile set; MDA separately lists Bolide missile range as 8 km
Altitude coverage
0-5,000 m in Saab RBS 70 NG technical data
Maximum velocity
Mach 2 for Bolide in Saab RBS 70 NG technical data
Warhead
Combined shaped-charge and pre-fragmented warhead described by Saab for Bolide use
Target set
Aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, and selected armoured targets in Saab and MDA descriptions
Launcher reload
Less than 5 seconds in MANPADS configuration in Saab RBS 70 NG technical data
Delivered family scale
Saab reported more than 1,600 RBS 70/RBS 70 NG systems and more than 18,000 missiles procured by 19 countries in its Ireland RBS 70 NG material
Recent order context
Saab reported RBS 70 Bolide missile orders from NATO's Support and Procurement Agency for 2027 delivery and from Lithuania for 2028-2032 delivery
RBS 70 Compatibility Context

Bolide is best understood as the missile component inside the RBS 70 family rather than a stand-alone battlefield system. Saab's RBS 70 NG material says the NG sight can reuse existing RBS 70 missile generations up to the Bolide fourth-generation missile, while the Swedish and Ukrainian reporting lanes identify RBS 70 systems and ammunition in Ukraine without publicly pinning the ammunition lots to Bolide.

Launcher family

RBS 70 NG is the current sight and launcher architecture described by Saab; it retains compatibility with previous RBS 70 missiles through Bolide.

Sources: RBS 70 NG | Saab; RBS 70 NG Datasheet.

Missile role

Bolide is the Mach 2 all-target missile option used to extend the family against aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, and some armoured targets.

Sources: RBS 70 NG Datasheet; Robot System 70.

Ukraine boundary

Sources document RBS 70 systems, training, ammunition, and later latest-version RBS 70 procurement for Ukraine, but the reviewed public records do not name Bolide as the exact missile variant delivered or fired.

Sources: RBS 70 Air Defence Systems Makes a Difference in Ukraine; Sweden Donates Air Defence Systems to Ukraine; Ukraine Got the Swedish RBS 70 SAMs.

Variants

The RBS 70 missile line moved from early Mk missiles through Mk 2 to Bolide, then to the newer Bolide 2 generation announced by Saab in 2026.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
RBS 70 Mk 1+Earlier missile generation

Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance lists Mk 1+ as a 6 km, Mach 1.6 interceptor in the RBS 70 family.

Sources: Robot System 70

RBS 70 Mk 2Pre-Bolide missile generation

Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance lists Mk 2 as a 7 km, Mach 2-plus interceptor before Bolide.

Sources: Robot System 70

BolideFourth-generation all-target missile

Saab's RBS 70 NG datasheet describes Bolide as the fourth-generation all-target missile compatible with RBS 70 NG.

Sources: RBS 70 NG Datasheet

Bolide 2Follow-on missile generation

Saab announced Bolide 2 in 2026 as the next-generation missile for the RBS 70 short-range air-defense system, with customer deliveries planned from 2027.

Sources: Bolide 2 Built for Tomorrow's Air Threats

Launch System

Bolide is a missile round in the RBS 70 family, so its battlefield role depends on the launch sight, tripod or vehicle installation, and operator-controlled laser guidance chain.

LauncherLauncher typeLaunch evidence
RBS 70, Laser beam-riding short-range air-defense missile system, Air DefenseRBS 70Short-range air-defense launcher family

Saab identifies Bolide as the missile used with RBS 70 NG and says RBS 70 NG can use RBS 70 missile generations up to Bolide; the later Bolide 2 announcement also states that the follow-on missile can be fired from RBS 70 NG and prior generations.

Sources: RBS 70 NG Datasheet, Bolide 2 Built for Tomorrow's Air Threats

Missile and system boundary

The launcher-system page carries the direct Ukraine conflict row because public sources identify RBS 70 systems, launchers, training, and ammunition in Ukrainian service. This Bolide page links the munition to the RBS 70 system without inferring a specific conflict-use row for Bolide itself.

Sources: RBS 70 Air Defence Systems Makes a Difference in Ukraine, Sweden Donates Air Defence Systems to Ukraine

Timeline

RBS 70 Mk 3 Bolide Key Events

  1. RBS 70 enters the air-defense family

    Saab's product history lists the original RBS 70 launch in 1977 with laser beam-riding guidance, 5 km intercept range, and more than 2,000 m altitude coverage.

    Sources: RBS 70 NG | Saab

  2. Mk 2 missile appears before Bolide

    Saab places the Mk 2 missile in the 1990 step of the RBS 70 development line, together with Clip-On Night Device and battlefield-management terminal improvements.

    Sources: RBS 70 NG | Saab

  3. Bolide announced

    Saab's product history identifies 2003 as the point when the fourth-generation Bolide all-target missile was announced for the RBS 70 family.

    Sources: RBS 70 NG | Saab

  4. RBS 70 NG sight introduced

    Saab says RBS 70 NG added an auto-tracker and integrated thermal imager while the datasheet says the NG sight remains compatible with RBS 70 missile generations up to Bolide.

    Sources: RBS 70 NG | Saab, RBS 70 NG Datasheet

  5. Sweden decides to donate RBS 70 systems and ammunition to Ukraine

    A Swedish Armed Forces-syndicated account says Sweden decided to donate RBS 70 air-defense systems, including ammunition, to Ukraine and began training Ukrainian soldiers soon afterward; the exact missile variant was not publicly identified in that account.

    Sources: RBS 70 Air Defence Systems Makes a Difference in Ukraine

  6. NATO support agency orders Bolide missiles

    Saab said the NATO Support and Procurement Agency ordered RBS 70 Bolide missiles for delivery during 2027, citing continuing NATO interest in the RBS 70 system.

    Sources: Saab Receives Order from NATO for RBS 70 Bolide Missiles

  7. Sweden announces newer RBS 70 donations for Ukraine

    The Swedish government said it would authorise FMV to procure the latest version of RBS 70 for donation to Ukraine as part of an air-defense support package, but did not name the missile variant in the announcement.

    Sources: Sweden Donates Air Defence Systems to Ukraine

  8. Lithuania orders more RBS 70 Bolide missiles

    Saab said Lithuania ordered RBS 70 Bolide missiles under an RBS 70 NG framework agreement, with deliveries expected from 2028 through 2032.

    Sources: Saab Receives Order for RBS 70 Bolide Missiles from Lithuania

  9. Saab launches Bolide 2

    Saab launched Bolide 2 as the next RBS 70 missile generation, stating that the redesigned missile would be delivered to customers from 2027.

    Sources: Bolide 2 Built for Tomorrow's Air Threats

Media

RBS 70 Mk 3 Bolide Videos

Related Weapon Systems
RBS 70, Laser beam-riding short-range air-defense missile system, Air DefenseAir DefenseRBS 70Laser beam-riding short-range air-defense missile systemRBS 70 is a Swedish short-range air-defense system built around a tripod launcher, optical or thermal sight, and laser beam-riding missiles. Saab's RBS 70 NG sight keeps the man-portable role while adding auto-tracking, thermal imaging, vehicle-integration, and networked or remote-control compatibility. Ukraine has fielded RBS 70 systems during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War through Swedish and Australian support, including donated or procured launchers and training for Ukrainian personnel.
Bofors BILL anti-tank guided missile, Overfly top-attack anti-tank guided missile, MunitionsMunitionsBofors BILL anti-tank guided missileOverfly top-attack anti-tank guided missileBofors 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.
Bofors 40 mm L/70, 40 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseAir DefenseBofors 40 mm L/7040 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannonThe Bofors 40 mm L/70 is a Swedish postwar anti-aircraft autocannon developed by AB Bofors as a higher-velocity, faster-firing successor to the wartime 40 mm L/60 family. Its towed and naval variants remained in service through upgrades, with source-backed modern use including Lithuanian-supplied guns in Ukrainian air defense and Indian upgraded L/70 guns used as a short-range counter-drone layer during the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict.

Sources

RBS 70 NG | SaabPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Saab manufacturer background, RBS 70 NG product context, laser guidance, RBS family timeline, Bolide appearance in 2003, RBS 70 NG introduction in 2011, and headline technical data. | Accessed: 2026-07-13RBS 70 NG DatasheetPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports RBS 70 NG compatibility with all RBS 70 missiles up to Bolide, Bolide all-target missile role, warhead description, guidance method, range, altitude, reload time, reaction time, and Mach 2 maximum velocity. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Robot System 70Publisher: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance | Note: Supports RBS 70 family background, Saab Bofors Dynamics designer/producer attribution, Mk 1+, Mk 2, and Bolide range/speed distinctions, target set, and launcher-system overview. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Bolide 2 Built for Tomorrow's Air ThreatsPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the RBS 70 missile lineage from Mk 0 through Mk 1, Mk 2, Bolide, and Bolide 2, plus the 2027 planned Bolide 2 customer-delivery timing. | Accessed: 2026-07-13RBS 70 Air Defence Systems Makes a Difference in UkrainePublisher: Defence Industry Europe | Note: Supports Ukraine-related background by syndicating Swedish Armed Forces reporting that Sweden donated RBS 70 air-defense systems, including ammunition, and trained Ukrainian soldiers; it does not identify the exact missile variant as Bolide. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Sweden Donates Air Defence Systems to UkrainePublisher: Government Offices of Sweden | Note: Supports Ukraine-related background by documenting Sweden's 2025 intent to procure the latest version of RBS 70 for donation to Ukraine; it does not identify the exact missile variant as Bolide. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Ukraine Got the Swedish RBS 70 SAMsPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports Ukraine-related background by documenting Ukrainian RBS 70 systems in 88th Mechanized Brigade material and describing RBS 70 guidance and range-context differences; it treats the Ukrainian modification as uncertain. | Accessed: 2026-07-13SIPRI Arms Transfers DatabasePublisher: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute | Note: Research starting point for transfer context; supports the database scope and update status, but no conflict-use claim in this record relies on SIPRI as direct Bolide evidence. | Accessed: 2026-07-13RBS 70 NG IrelandPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports RBS 70/RBS 70 NG installed-base context, Bolide as the latest RBS 70 missile iteration at the time of the page, Mach 2 speed, more-than-9-km intercept range, 5-km altitude coverage, and RBS 70 NG operational design context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Saab Receives Order from NATO for RBS 70 Bolide MissilesPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports the January 2024 NATO Support and Procurement Agency order for RBS 70 Bolide missiles, 2027 delivery timing, and Saab's description of Bolide target set, range, and altitude coverage. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Saab Receives Order for RBS 70 Bolide Missiles from LithuaniaPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Lithuania's December 2025 order for RBS 70 Bolide missiles, expected 2028-2032 deliveries, and the order's placement within the RBS 70 NG short-range air-defense framework agreement. | Accessed: 2026-07-13File:RBS-70 in Lithuanian Air Force.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the Lithuanian Air Force RBS 70 photograph used as representative RBS 70 family imagery. | Accessed: 2026-07-13