Bolide 2: built for tomorrow's air threats
Pity the helicopter crew or FPV drone pilot that encounters the new Bolide 2 missile for Saab’s RBS 70 NG system. A larger warhead and more advanced flight control system make it even more effective against aerial targets than its battle-proven predecessor.
Put yourself in the shoes of a deployed squad of troops in a modern warzone. Word has come through that an enemy attack helicopter is in the area and carrying out devastating ‘pop-up’ attacks on the front line. When you hear the familiar whop-whop-whop of helicopter rotors coming from five kilometres to the east, you know you have a chance to bring it down.
Saab’s RBS 70 NG missile launcher and its laser-guided Bolide missile have long been the ideal pairing for just this kind of job. Unjammable and delivering a powerful payload, the system has proved highly effective against Russian forces in Ukraine. And now the equation has shifted even more in favour of users with the announcement of an updated and even more effective missile for the RBS 70.
Unveiled in May 2026, the Bolide 2 missile brings the best qualities of its predecessor and combines them with increased lethality and improved precision at the outer reaches of its range. A new inertial measurement unit (IMU) allows for better control of energy during flight, meaning the missile arrives at long-range targets with more usable energy for final-course corrections. At the same time, the Bolide 2’s 50-percent larger warhead delivers 40 percent more fragments, creating a denser fragmentation pattern that improves kill probability against smaller targets. Those qualities make it not only a helicopter crew’s worst nightmare but a drone pilot’s as well. The dense array of fragments produced makes the Bolide 2 highly effective against UAVs of all sizes, from smaller rotary wing drones to larger Shahed-style craft. With an engagement range of more than nine kilometres and a top altitude of more than five kilometres, the missile is also highly effective against cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft.
Breakthrough technologies
The Bolide 2 is the latest in a long line of advanced missiles to be developed for the RBS 70 since its initial launch in the late 1970s. The Mk 0 missile first developed for the system was replaced by the Mk 1 and Mk 2 and then the Bolide in 2003. After several years in development, the Bolide 2 will be delivered to customers in 2027.
Engineers working on the project have redesigned the missile to improve lethality, precision, and compatibility with modern air defence requirements. Part of the redesign was driven by a desire to modernise electronic systems to create a future-proof solution. The newer systems required less space, creating additional internal volume that Saab engineers were able to use to significantly increase the size of the warhead. At the same time, the replacement of the previous copper and steel liners with lighter aluminium liners helped keep the missile’s overall weight almost unchanged despite the warhead growing by roughly 50 percent. The Bolide 2 also introduces a new inertial measurement unit (IMU), which gives the missile better control of its flight path throughout an engagement. That allows the missile to preserve more energy during flight, improving precision and manoeuvrability at the outer limits of its engagement range.
Deadly to drones
The Bolide 2’s enhanced capabilities arrive at a time when the nature of air threats is rapidly evolving. The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the crucial role that UAVs are playing in warfare. Increased levels of drone automation and the use of tethered systems mean that jamming has become less effective, and solutions are needed to destroy UAVs mid-flight. The Bolide 2 offers deployed troops a highly effective way to reliably take down drones of all sizes. The system makes particularly good strategic and economic sense when those drones are directing wider attacks, operating as airborne coordination nodes or attempting to strike high-value assets.
The new missile further enhances the already impressive capabilities of the RBS 70 system. The solution relies on a laser-guided command-to-line-of-sight system which keeps a human operator in control throughout the entire engagement sequence. Unlike fire-and-forget systems, the missile remains guided all the way to the target, allowing operators to adjust aim, switch targets or abort an engagement entirely if the situation changes. Because the system does not rely on radar guidance or traditional radio-frequency seekers, it is also effectively unjammable – a major advantage on battlefields saturated with electronic warfare. Combined with the advanced NG sight, which assists with target acquisition and tracking, the RBS 70 delivers a highly flexible and resilient short-range air defence capability.
Fully back compatible
By keeping the Bolide 2’s weight within a few grams of the Bolide missile, Saab engineers were able to ensure it is fully backwards compatible with existing RBS 70 systems already in service around the world. A relatively simple software update is needed to the launch and guidance unit (LGU) to unlock the performance benefits of the new missile. Older LGUs can also be used to fire the Bolide 2, helping existing operators to upgrade capability without replacing entire air defence inventories.
The next stage in the RBS 70’s evolution
Saab engineers were able to deliver the Bolide 2 redesign on schedule and within budget. They also enhanced the modularity of the system, opening the way for further improvements and ongoing evolution.
The Bolide 2 missile is an example of how the RBS 70 system is constantly evolving. It’s best known as a man portable solution, transported by three soldiers – one carrying the sighting and targeting unit, another carrying the launcher stand, and a third carrying two missile canisters. However, it can also be used in newer vehicle-integrated configurations designed to provide mobile and protected short-range air defence. Our Mobile Firing Unit integrates multiple ready-to-fire missiles onto armoured vehicles, allowing crews to engage aerial threats remotely from inside the protection of the platform before rapidly reloading or redeploying the system if required.