| Robot 17 | |
|---|---|
 Robot 17 | |
| Type | Anti-ship missile |
| Place of origin | Sweden United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | In active service |
| Used by | Ukraine Sweden |
| Wars | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bofors |
| Manufacturer | Bofors |
| Unit cost | £25,000 Per Missile |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Weights: 9 kg (20 lb) Warhead 48 kg (106 lb) Total |
| Length | 163 cm (64 in) |
| Width | 17.8 cm (7.0 in) |
| Effective firing range | 8 km (5 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 450 m/s (1,000 mph; Mach 1.3) |
Guidance system | Laser-guided |
Robot 17 (Robotsystem 17) is a Swedish anti-ship missile based on the American AGM-114C Hellfire, further developed by Bofors to work against sea targets and be transported and fired on land.1
The system is used by Swedish Amphibious Corps (Amfibiekåren), which uses high-speed boats to transport it between land and islands, after which disembarked soldiers can then quickly position the system and make it ready to fire. By creating a moving and unpredictable threat from anti-ship missiles along the Swedish coast, the Swedish Armed Forces intends to "make it more difficult for an opponent to enter ships in the Swedish archipelago or ports".2
In June 2022, Sweden publicly stated their intent to assist Ukraine against Russia's invasion of Ukraine by sending a number of Robot 17.34 In October 2022, evidence appeared on social media suggesting that Ukrainian Ground Forces had started using the weapons in an ad-hoc land attack role.5
References
References
- "RBS-17". Anti-Ship Missiles – Missiles – European Defence Equipment. Armed Forces Europe.
- "Robot 17". Information och fakta. Försvarsmakten.
- Nilsson, Maja (June 2, 2022). "Sverige bistår Ukraina med sjömålsroboten Robot 17". Nyheter. SVT.
- Ozberk, Tayfun (June 5, 2022). "How Can Swedish RBS-17 Anti-Ship Missiles Help Ukraine?". Naval news.
- Helfrich, Emma (22 October 2022). "Ukraine Now Using Donated Hellfire-Based Shore Defense Systems Against Ground Targets". The Drive. Retrieved 22 October 2022.