September 25, 2023 – The Croatian Ministry of Defense is starting the procurement of a new anti-tank missile system for the Croatian army, it was announced at the Government session on Thursday.
Tportal/Poslovni provides all the details about the system that should strengthen the capabilities of the Croatian Army.
The Croatian Ministry of Defense (MOD) carried out the procurement as a negotiated procedure without prior announcement of the invitation to tender, and an agreement was reached with the company Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH (DND) from the Federal Republic of Germany, which is also the original manufacturer of the RGW90 missile system.
By purchasing with the original manufacturer, the most favorable unit price was achieved through the joint procurement of a large batch, as well as a shortened delivery time. The RGW90 missile system fully meets the needs of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia regarding the requirement to equip troops with portable, disposable anti-armor unguided missile systems, and at the same time represents an urgent measure, which is important for the long-term security and defense of the Republic of Croatia.
The Government’s decision states that the RGW90 missile system is in accordance with the adopted NATO capability goals. The Ministry of Defense will spend almost four million euros to procure the system for the Croatian army, of which 1.2 million this year and 2.6 million in 2024.
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The disposable anti-armor portable missile system RGW90, also called Matador, is based on the light anti-tank missile launcher Armbrust, and it has been in production since the 1970s by the now-defunct German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm. The Matador was jointly developed by the Singaporean company Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), which bought the patent and manufacturing rights to Armbrust, the German company Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND), and the Israeli company Rafael. It has been in production since 2000 and is manufactured by DND.
It was also tested in combat conditions, first back in 2009 in the Gaza war, when the Israelis used it to breach walls so that soldiers could enter buildings, and it has been used in more significant numbers by Ukraine since 2022 when the Russian invasion began. Germany sent almost 8,000 pieces to Ukraine, and subsequently, the Ukrainians bought another 5,000 copies, half of which have been delivered. According to the descriptions of the Ukrainian fighters from the end of last year, the projectile fired from the RGW90 can easily penetrate a hole in a wall and lightly armored vehicles, but it is not as successful when it comes to tanks with reactive armor, although it fulfills its primary purpose, which is to stop them.
In addition to Germany, Singapore, Israel, and Ukraine, Matador is used in Belgium, Great Britain, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Mexico, and Vietnam.
