Lithuania receives shipment of Bolide air defence missiles

Lithuania's armed forces have received a shipment of a consignment of Bolide missiles, the Defence Ministry announced on Thursday.

The missiles, manufactured by Swedish firm SAAB Dynamics , are designed for the RBS-70 man-portable short-range air defence system, which is already in service with the Lithuanian Armed Forces' Air Defence Battalion.

The delivery is valued at 7 million euros and forms part of a wider 320 million euro contract signed with SAAB last year, under which supplies will continue through to 2032.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said air defence remained one of the country's top priorities.

"We have a clear and consistent plan for strengthening air defence, which we are implementing step by step – every new system, radar and missile is a concrete result of that plan. Bolide missiles are a reliable, combat-proven and jam-resistant tool that allows for the effective destruction of modern aerial threats," he said.

The RBS-70 is a tripod-mounted launcher system valued for its mobility and ease of deployment. It uses laser guidance, making the missiles resistant to electronic jamming.

Bolide missiles can engage targets at ranges of up to 9 kilometres and are capable of penetrating up to 200 mm of armour, allowing them to be used against both aircraft and low-flying threats.

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