Saab has received an order from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense (MoD) for the Mobile Short Range Air Defense system (MSHORAD). The contract is worth approximately SEK 1.3 billion and deliveries are expected to take place between 2025 and 2027.
The recent procurement was made under a framework agreement between Saab, the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) and the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, which allows that country to make purchases of the mobile short-range air defense system, which is based on the RBS 70 NG.
The scope of delivery includes mobile firing units, mobile radar units, a command and control (C2) system, a training package and the RBS 70 NG trainer. Saab will integrate MSHORAD with the JLTV light vehicles, manufactured by the American company Oshkosh, before delivering the final product to the customer.
“We are proud to continue supporting Lithuania’s anti-aircraft defense. MSHORAD is our response to new threats on the battlefield. Saab’s extensive experience allows us to supply everything from the radar and firing units to our command and control system; the result is the most modern and capable short-range mobile air defense solution on the market,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s Dynamics business area.
“‘MSHORAD is designed to ensure the protection of certain installations, areas and critical infrastructure. The advantage of this system is mobility, so it is an extremely necessary system that will significantly strengthen the capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Currently, we are using the older generation RBS 70 anti-aircraft defense system and Bolide missiles,” said Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Laurynas Kasčiūnas.
MSHORAD is Saab’s mobile air defense solution. The system consists of the Mobile Radar Unit (MRU), which uses the Giraffe 1X radar, and the Mobile Firing Unit (MFU), equipped with the RBS 70 NG, all integrated with Saab’s GBAD C2 command and control system.