How Sweden built its own anti-ship missile to avoid relying on foreign technology

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When the Swedish Navy needed a modern anti-ship missile in the late 1970s, it rejected the American Harpoon in favor of an indigenous design. The resulting RBS 15 became a versatile, multi-platform weapon system, evolving over four decades from a ship-launched tool into a sophisticated, land-and-air-capable precision missile.

The origins of the RBS 15 lie in a 1958 defense resolution that forced the Swedish Navy to pivot from heavy destroyers to smaller, faster attack craft. Existing missiles like the RB 08 were too bulky for these compact vessels, requiring complex launch rails and manual preparation. By the late 1970s, Saab Bofors Dynamics attempted to fill this gap with the 'RB 04 Turbo,' a project led by Hans Ahlinder. After an initial proposal was dismissed as inferior to the American Harpoon, the team reworked the design into a superior, flexible weapon system renamed the RBS 15.

The first generation, the Mk. I, became operational in 1985. Unlike its predecessors, the RBS 15 was designed for rapid deployment, eventually evolving through successive iterations. The Mk. II, developed in the 1990s, introduced upgraded guidance and reduced radar signatures. The Mk. III, a collaboration with Germany's Diehl Defence, significantly extended the range to approximately 200 km using new fuel and larger capacity, while integrating GPS for improved accuracy. This version was notably adopted by the German Navy for its Braunschweig-class corvettes.

The latest evolution, the RBS 15 Mk. IV Gungnir, represents a shift toward total operational flexibility. Unveiled in 2018, the Gungnir can be launched from trucks, ships, or aircraft, including the JAS-39 Gripen. This generation, supported by a 3.2 billion SEK contract signed in 2017, ensures the platform remains relevant for modern maritime defense. While some nations, like Finland, have begun phasing out older RBS 15 variants in favor of newer systems, the missile’s legacy persists through international exports to countries including Croatia, Algeria, and Bulgaria, proving the enduring utility of Sweden's decision to pursue an independent path in missile development.

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