PARIS - On May 31, MBDA received a production contract to supply Germany with the Meteor Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). All six Meteor Partner Nations, or PNs, (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K.) have now placed production orders. Production orders include operational missiles training equipment and supporting documentation. Delivery schedules and quantities are specific to the individual needs of the PNs and disclosure is at their discretion.
These orders once again demonstrate the ability of the European Partner Nations and industry to develop and produce state-of-the-art guided weapons with leading-edge technology. Powered by a throttleable ducted rocket with tomorrow's technology, utilizing an advanced RF seeker and network enabled through a sophisticated data link, Meteor's capabilities provide a step change in combat effectiveness and survivability to modern aircraft, says MBDA.
Additionally, on June 18, Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH signed a Meteor integration contract with NETMA (NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency). This means that integration contracts are now in place for the Gripen, Rafale, and Eurofighter Typhoon. MBDA is providing technical services to each of the three prime aircraft companies (Saab AB, Dassault Aviation, and Eurofighter GmbH) for their integration programs.
The production and aircraft integration contracts combined with a successful guided firing program confirm the maturity of the Meteor project, states MBDA.
Meteor is being developed to meet the requirements of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the U.K. for a next-generation BVRAAM system with the capability to dominate medium and beyond-visual-range air combat. The missile is being integrated onto Europe's major platforms: Typhoon, Gripen, and Rafale. It is also a candidate for the next upgrade package (Block 4) for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
