RBS 56 BILL

Overview

Developed by AB Bofors and entering production in 1985, the RBS 56 BILL (Bofors, Infantry, Light and Lethal) ATGM system entered Swedish service in 1988. The RBS 56 was the world's first operational top-attack ATGM system, and the missile follows a flight path approximately 0.75m (0.90m as modeled) above the sight line, allowing engagement of defilade and partially visible targets. Like the Raytheon TOW, the BILL is wire guided, but utilizes a backward-directed coded laser beacon rather than a flare to provide a nearly unjammable command link with the sight unit. The modeled version is the standard RBS 56 BILL 1 equipped with the Bill TI (BTI) thermal imaging sight. Day optics magnification is fixed at 7x while the thermal sight has a 3.4x wide field of view and a 7x narrow. When compared to other contemporary ATGM systems, the BILL's 150 to 2200m range falls somewhere between the MILAN and AT-4 in performance, but is heaver than these units and therefore less mobile.

Besides the Swedish military, the BILL is in service with Austria, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Employment

The observer position F8 displays a third-person view of the BILL team.
Pressing N provides a magnified third-person view (and only if the Realism setting is Low or Medium (Rev. 3.002)).
F7 or F11 switches to the first-person view of the "Squad Leader"/gunner. Note that the thermal sight fills most of the "Squad Leader"/gunner's forward view.
Pressing N will brings the Squad Leader's binoculars into action. This can not be used to engage targets.
Pressing F2 accesses the weapon's day optics, which has a fixed 7x field of view. From here the mouse or joystick may be used to aim, and the space bar/default trigger to fire. Unlike other SACLOS guided weapons, the gunner should generally place the reticle slightly higher on the target, as pictured to the right.
Pressing (Num +) accesses the Bill TI thermal nightsight for day or night engagements, with 3.4x and 7x field of views. NVG (Night Vision Goggle) views are available from the F7 Squad Leader's position under appropriate lighting conditions if the team is so equipped (rev. 2.640), but have no effect on weapon sights.

Tactical Tips for Employing the BILL by forum user Kingtiger

• Katie's background: Squad leader on a BILL system in 2001...

"This is quick write up on BILL-2, for those who have not used it. This isn't one of Gibsonm's fancy how to guides, just a quick and dirty breakdown of the most important things.

Considering how many enemy tanks are in the typical threat company (at least 8) and the fact that our tanks can't be everywhere, the BILL will be the most important tool for CV90 platoons when facing tanks.

• Thermal only have 1 zoom, to ID target you have to go out of thermals, preferably its in normal view you will fire your BILL.

• The BILL can go through small branches, etc. (around 2cm thick branches if memory serves me right), so you CAN fire through thin tree lines, but there IS a risk the missile will detonate ( In real life there is also risk that the line will be cut by the branches which means the missile will auto destruct).

• Max range is 2000m and flight time is 11 seconds, 13 seconds from you hit the trigger (2 seconds of data work being done before launching the missile).

I have timed a Strv 122 moving top speed over open ground, and it takes about 2 1/2 minute to cover 1 km, which means that most open areas can be targeted on fast moving tanks.

• If you are firing on tanks moving AWAY from you you need to add this to your calculation so the missile wont go out of range before catching up with the moving target.

• The BILL is a wire guided "eyes on" missile, so you need to keep your cross-hair on the target at all times. The real life missile is sensitive to hasty movements, but the SB BILL does not have this issue, so you can move the cross-hair around pretty freely after launch (for example switch target if one disappears you can continue on next).

• BILL-2 is TOP ATTACK with TWO shaped charges. This means two things.
• 1. You can attack targets that are hull down, as long as you can see antennas, machine guns etc. Just aim 2-3 mils above the turret and the missile will detonate over the target (in real life you are supposed to aim where you think the turret is, but in SB this makes the missile explode over dirt, so adapt and overcome).
• 2. It means you have no trouble taking out targets with ERA on the roof as first shaped charge are designed to remove ERA blocks so 2nd charge have a clear way.

• If you have a small forest obstructing your FOV you can gain a few seconds by tracking and firing when the target is covered by the trees (assuming you can see the tank moving behind the trees and are sure he will break into the open). So if the target are 1km out, you have a flight time of 6 seconds, plus 2 seconds for data stuff, so 8 seconds before the tank breaks into the open you can push the trigger and the tank will be hit just when it breaks into the open. If you were to wait to have a clear shot, you will add 8 seconds of "any-f**king-s**t-can-happen", and as you'll probably have 2 more tanks to engage from that platoon, you really want to cut down on the seconds of flight time.

• Terrain recce. Calculate.

Figure out where you can engage and where you can't engage with the BILL. Aim for flank shots at distances of 1 to 2 km and be sure to have frontal cover that protects your missile team while allowing those flanking shots on the targets. Ensure a covered retreat path; this is what will make you win or die. Most important is to have something that can break LOS between you and the enemy quickly: like a building, hedges (infantry can walk through hedges like nothing), or a hill. Don't forget to pop smoke before moving, as it will take a while to break the system down. (In real life, BILL squad have Carl Gustav with mostly smoke rounds to cover area between enemy and BILL with smoke if needed to pull out under fire).

• Do not forget to cover the BILL team with friendly infantry on the BILL team's flank so enemy infantry do not take you out while you are engaging the tanks.