BAE Systems has successfully completed guided firing trials of the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft.
Performed at the UK Ministry of Defence’s Hebrides range, the trials saw the aircraft launching guided Meteor firings against real air targets in pre-planned scenarios.
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Manufactured by MBDA, Meteor is an active radar guided missile designed to provide a multi-shot capability against long-range manoeuvring targets, such as fast jets, small unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles in a heavy electronic countermeasures environment.
Test pilot Nat Makepeace said: "The missile separated very cleanly and guided very successfully towards its target maintaining a datalink communication between the weapon and the aircraft."
The trial involved a Typhoon aircraft IPA6, which is a Tranche 2 standard aircraft equipped with the latest P2E software.
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Makepeace added: "This year is undoubtedly one of the most exciting years I have experienced in the development of Typhoon.
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By GlobalData"We are taking to the skies with upgraded software, trialling new night vision helmet technologies, developing and expanding weapons capabilities and looking forward to flying the Captor E-scan radar, all in the space of one year."
The trials were part of the flight test campaign for the ‘phase two enhancements’ (P2E) programme, which aims to introduce a range of new and enhanced long range attack capabilities including Meteor and Storm Shadow missiles.
The Meteor weapon integration improves Typhoon’s swing-role capabilities, which will permit the pilot to engage hostile air threats at long-range, and also identify and engage targets on the ground.
The tests, which were conducted with support from QinetiQ, MBDA and Selex, also form part of a Nato Eurofighter and the Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) contract to fully integrate the Meteor missile onto Typhoon by 2017.
Image: Eurofighter Typhoon launching guided Meteor firings against real air targets in pre-planned scenarios during the trials. Photo: courtesy of BAE Systems.
