Sweden, Lithuania, and Ireland have formed an unprecedented alliance to provide Ukraine with a complete Swedish-made air defense system, Forbes reports. The package includes Saab’s integrated defense components: RBS 70 missiles, Tridon guns, and Giraffe radars.
“Good news for Ukraine,” declared Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda about the arrangement.
Forbes war correspondent David Axe describes the RBS 70 as “an air-defense classic” – a 120-pound (54 kg) launcher firing laser-guided missiles capable of targeting aircraft up to five miles (8 km) away and three miles (5 km) high. Three soldiers can transport and deploy a unit within minutes, making it highly mobile for battlefield conditions.
Sweden, Lithuania & (neutral!) Ireland sent Ukraine a powerful new air defense system:
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) February 26, 2025
???? Swedish RBS 70 laser-guided missiles
???? Ireland’s Giraffe radar
???? Lithuania’s Tridon gun
Ukraine has already taken down Russian drones & a Ka-52.
Video: Försvarsmakten pic.twitter.com/nkcNcpT5kU
“A four-person Giraffe radar, mounted to a truck or—in the case of Ireland’s seven Giraffes—a Bv 206 snowcat, extends an RBS 70 crew’s detection range to around 30 miles (48 km),” Axe reports.
These radars can beam target coordinates directly to missile crews, and the launcher provides operators with visual and audio cues.
Ukrainian forces have already proven the system’s effectiveness since receiving their first units in early 2023, successfully downing Russian drones and at least one Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter. During training, Swedish instructors told Ukrainian personnel: “You are also fighting for the security of Europe.”
The newer Tridon gun component is, as Axe puts it, “essentially a truck-mounted version of Sweden’s iconic 40-millimeter Bofors gun,” which adds versatility by engaging both aircraft and armored vehicles.
“The Russians should anticipate additional aerial losses as the new air-defense gear begins arriving in Ukraine,” Axe warns.
Sweden has pledged continued support, with its defense ministry stating: “Sweden’s support to Ukraine will continue for as long as necessary.”
This European initiative comes as Ukraine faces uncertainty about American support under President Trump’s administration. According to Tatarigami, founder of Ukrainian analysis group Frontelligence Insight, Trump’s demands that Ukraine share its mineral wealth in exchange for support is particularly troubling: “We are being robbed.”
Despite these challenges, the report concludes that “Ukraine will not fight alone” as more European nations step forward with military assistance.
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