Sweden To Get New RBS 18 Coastal Defence Missile For CB 90 Combat Boats

The Swedish modernization of their coastal troops is continuing, with the formal call for tenders for a new surface-to-surface anti-ship missile. The new weapon will receive the formal designation RBS 18, and unlike the current man-portable Hellfire-missile system used in the short-range anti-ship role by the Swedish marines will be mounted aboard the CB 90 combat boat.

This will be a key demand, as the boats are small and narrow, coming in at just under 16 meters in length and 4 meters in width. This could prove too restrictive for dedicated anti-ship missiles marketed towards the lightcraft segment. As an example, MBDA’s MARTE MK2/N which is described by the manufacturer as a “medium-range lightweight anti-ship missile system” gives the minimum boundary for suitable vessels as 25 meters in length.

However, when it comes to the mass of the system, a twin-launcher would seem to fit within the 1,750 kg limit (of which 1,400 kg on deck), which might indicate that the Navy is in fact looking for a ‘real’ anti-ship weapon, and not a converted non-line of sight anti-tank missile.

Amfbat 2030 program

The anti-ship missile procurement is part of the larger Amfbat 2030 program, which aims to increase the capabilities of the marine battalions by providing them with increased lethality and mobility for the littoral units. Amfbat 2030 includes the ability to fight from their organic vessels, without the need to disembark as is the current case, and as such will demand both new sensors, vessels, and weapons.

The contract for an indirect fire-support capability in the form of shipboard mortars has already been placed, while the anti-air capability is also underway in the form of tenders for both short/very-short-ranged air defense missiles as well as a total of eight anti-aircraft guns for mounting on CB 90, reportedly in caliber 30 × 173 mm which has proved rather popular on vehicle mounts recently.

The size of the tenders is significant, with the anti-ship missile deal being valued at 268 million Euro, and the air defense guns at approximately 166 million Euro. The decision to model the tenders based on the current CB 90 is somewhat surprising. The CB 90 is starting to show its age, and the latest proposals for the long-term development of the force have seen the original CB 90H as one of the platforms slated for replacement. Two somewhat modified versions, CB 90HS and CB 90HSM, are also in service, of which the 90HSM is the most modern development of the vessel.

Still, the CB 90HSM continues to rely on the original hull, which being small and narrow might run into issues of space and stability when mounting larger weapons – a key driver behind the decision to acquire a new vessel for the mortar turrets acquired. It remains to be seen whether the eventual procurement will see the systems currently described actually mounted on a CB 90 version, or whether it is simply used as a placeholder to provide the approximate size of the vessels.