Swedish company Saab has recently conducted a live demonstration of their newest development: MSHORAD mobile short-range air defense system. The same missile launchers in a portable configuration (RBS 70) are expected to arrive in Ukraine in near future. 

The primary purpose of this new defensive solution is to identify and counteract all aerial threats. This means that MSHORAD can locate enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and regular human-piloted aircraft and neutralize them if needed.

From the presentation of this new weapon, it can be seen quite obviously that Saab has carefully analyzed the specifics of modern warfare. Essentially, MSHORAD is adapted specifically to such combat situations that are regularly encountered by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, when soldiers have to deal with large numbers of enemy aircraft, and the capability of a rapid relocation after the strike is a key to ensuring the safety of troops and equipment.

The Swedish MSHORAD platform is mounted on a relatively small MARS-S330 vehicle similar to an armored personnel transporter. Saab emphasized that any other vehicle could also be used in place of MARS-S330.

Judging from the available visual material, one vehicle acts as a ‘detector’, and the other acts as a missile platform. In one car, a Giraffe 1X radar with a 360-degree coverage is mounted on the rooftop, and it feeds detection data to the central control panel located inside the car. T

he other vehicle acts as a missile launcher. Once data is received, missiles in RBS 70 NG launcher are activated and released within five seconds. All operational data is being processed by Saab’s GBAD C2 air defense control system.

Saab states on their website that the new radar is capable of detecting UAV unit “lighter than a milk carton” as far as 4 km from the radar. The platform is able to destroy air targets at a distance of up to 7 km. Apparently, there is also an option to direct missiles at ground-based targets, and the vehicle-mounted launcher can be taken off and reconfigured as a single-human portable firing unit.

During the live demonstration, five successful shots were fired at various targets, including a UAV and a helicopter.

Defense Express notes that the chances for Ukraine to receive this new mobile air defense system MSHORAD in the near future are slim. But for the manufacturer, it could become a perfect choice in order to demonstrate the platform’s capabilities during the ongoing war against the invading Russian military forces.

One week ago, Sweden has announced the new military package for Ukraine, which also includes supplying portable RBS 70 short-range anti-aircraft missile systems. It is still not known how quickly these systems will be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and if there will be any specific contract conditions.

Introducing MSHORAD