Lithuania has signed a €320 million contract with Saab to purchase RBS 70 Bolide short-range air-defence missiles. Vilnius says strengthening air defence is one of its top priorities as threats in the Baltic region continue to evolve. The procurement is meant to ensure a steady supply of missiles and improve the armed forces’ ability to engage modern low-altitude targets—from helicopters and aircraft to the fast-growing drone threat.
What the contract covers and when deliveries are expected
According to Saab, Lithuania’s order concerns missiles for the RBS 70 NG (Next Generation) system. Saab values the contract at around SEK 3 billion and states that deliveries are scheduled for 2028–2032.
Some public reporting has mentioned a broader time window—sometimes citing 2026–2032—while Saab’s own communication points to physical deliveries starting in 2028. In practice, this can reflect a difference between an overall planning horizon (covering procurement, integration and readiness milestones) and the delivery schedule specified in the executed contract.
Why RBS 70 matters in Lithuania’s air-defence architecture
RBS 70 is a very-short/short-range air-defence system (VSHORAD/SHORAD) known for laser guidance. This guidance method is often viewed as advantageous in heavily contested electronic-warfare environments, because it does not rely on traditional radar homing or radio datalinks used by some other systems. Lithuania’s armed forces have operated RBS 70 since 2004, and buying Bolide missiles is presented as a natural way to reinforce an existing base of equipment, training and operational routines.
For the Baltic states, strengthening the lowest layer of air defence is crucial—protecting troops in the field, logistics nodes, airfields and critical infrastructure against low-altitude attacks. The war in Ukraine has highlighted how even relatively cheap drones and loitering munitions can impose high costs and operational disruption if short-range defences are not sufficiently dense and responsive.
RBS 70 NG and Bolide—what capabilities are being added
The NG (Next Generation) variant implies updated sights/optronics and improved ergonomics, while the Bolide missile is associated with higher effectiveness against fast, manoeuvring targets and better performance in demanding conditions. Public descriptions cite a range of up to around 9 km.
In operational terms, however, maximum figures matter less than how a system performs within the full chain: detection (radars/optronics), identification, command-and-control and target allocation—followed by the effector. In that layered logic, RBS 70 provides a locally responsive option for units that must engage threats quickly without expending higher-end (and costlier) medium-range interceptors.
The wider context: additional Saab purchases and mobile SHORAD
Lithuania is also procuring other Saab equipment, including Carl-Gustaf M4 and AT4 systems, and official communications and media reporting have referenced mobile SHORAD (MSHORAD) solutions in the broader air-defence modernisation effort. In this framework, RBS 70 NG can serve as a component integrated into mobile platforms—matching a wider NATO trend toward combining sensors and effectors into systems that can move with manoeuvre forces rather than only defending fixed sites.
What this deal signals about Lithuania’s priorities
A €320 million contract is not symbolic—it is a substantial investment in a capability that can be decisive in the earliest phases of a crisis. For a frontline NATO state such as Lithuania, three factors are particularly important: supply continuity (so missile stocks are not razor-thin), compatibility with existing systems, and fast conversion into training and operational readiness. Choosing a system Lithuania has used for years reduces integration risk and allows the focus to shift toward scaling capacity rather than learning an entirely new toolset from scratch.
