RBS 15 Mk3/Mk4 Gungnir

RBS 15 Mk3/Mk4 Gungnir

Type: Anti-Ship Missile

Domain: sea

Country of Origin: Sweden

Manufacturer: Saab AB

First Deployed: 2004

Overview

Sweden's long-range anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile family, continuously upgraded since the 1980s and representing one of the most capable sea-skimming missiles in European arsenals. RBS 15 Mk3 features a turbojet engine providing range exceeding 200 km, GPS/INS mid-course navigation with active radar seeker for terminal homing, sea-skimming flight profile at 5-20 metres altitude making detection and interception extremely difficult, imaging infrared seeker for improved target discrimination (distinguishing warships from merchant vessels), and land-attack capability with programmable waypoint navigation. Warhead of 200 kg high-explosive. Launch platforms include surface ships (vertical or inclined launch), coastal defense batteries on mobile trucks, and potentially aircraft. The Mk4 Gungnir (named after Odin's spear in Norse mythology) extends range beyond 300 km, features enhanced stealth through improved radar cross-section reduction, modern two-way datalink for in-flight retargeting, and capability to engage both naval and land targets in the same mission. Operated by Swedish Navy and coastal artillery, with exports to Finland, Croatia, and Germany (for Visby-class corvettes leased from Sweden). Combat-proven concept with extensive operational testing.

Technical Specifications

typeLong-Range Anti-Ship / Land-Attack Cruise Missile
range200+ km (Mk3); 300+ km (Mk4 Gungnir, estimated)
speedHigh subsonic
guidanceINS + GPS + active radar seeker; ECCM; land-attack capable
platformsShip, coastal battery, aircraft
mk4_statusIn development
manufacturerSaab (Sweden)

Operators

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