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 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 is fixed at 1x. When compared to other contemporary ATGM systems, the BILL falls somewhere between the MILAN and AT-4 with similar range and 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. As with the "Squad Leader's" view above, the forward bino view will be blocked by the thermal sight, meaning the BILL unit must be turned to one side to look directly in front of the launcher.
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 a fixed 1x field of view. NVG (Night Vision Goggle) views are available from the F7 Squad Leader's view 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, King Tiger:

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

"A quick write up on BILL-2 for anyone who have not used it. Will not do one of Gibsonm's fancy how to guides just a quick and dirty with most important things. Considering how many enemy tanks there is (at least 8) and that our tanks cant be everywhere the BILL will be the most important tool for the CV90 platoons on tank fighting."

• 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).

• 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 on this map and it takes 2 1/2 minute to cover 1 km open ground which means that most open areas on the map 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 wire guided "eyes on" missile so you need to keep your cross-hair on the target at all time, the real life missile is sensitive to hasty movements but the SB BILL do not have this issue, so you can move the cross-hair around pretty freely even 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 FOW you can gain a few seconds by tracking and firing when the target is covered by the trees (assuming you can see the tanks moving behind the trees and sure he will break into the open). So if the target are 1km out you have a flight time of ca 6 seconds plus 2 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 are to wait to have a clear shot you will add 8 seconds of "any-f**king-s**t-can-happen" and as you probably have 2 more tanks to engage of 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 cant engage with the BILL. Covered retreat path, This is what will make you win or die. Aim for side shots on distances of 1 to 2 km. be sure to have frontal cover that covers yours missile team while sending flanking shots on the targets. Good retreat route is important. 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 hill. Don't forget to smoke before moving as it will take a while to get the system down and moving. (In real life the BILL squad had 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 teams flank so the enemy Mech Inf do not take you out while you are engaging the tanks.