MBDA has been contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) integration onto the new F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jets.

The company will perform production and engineering work required to support Meteor’s compatibility and use from the F-35, MBDA stated.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

MBDA will provide the usual suite of test missiles required for an aircraft integration programme.

The deal also covers role change kits for the UK’s common Meteor stockpile for both Typhoon and Lightning.

The Meteor is a ramjet-powered missile that is designed to provide an all-weather capability that can engage a wide variety of targets, including agile fast jets, small unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles.

"The Meteor is a ramjet-powered missile that is designed to provide an all-weather capability that can engage a wide variety of targets, including agile fast jets, small unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles."

With a diameter of 178mm, the 3.7m-long missile is equipped with both impact and proximity fuses, as well as a fragmentation warhead that detonates on impact, or at the optimum point of interception, to maximise accuracy, MBDA stated.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Developed by a group of European partners led by MBDA, Meteor meets the needs of six European nations, including the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.

The UK plans to equip its fleet of F-35s with Meteor missiles in the 2020s.

In addition to Meteor, MBDA’s Spear precision surface attack missile will be integrated onto the F-35 in the future.

Earlier this year, MBDA’s advanced short-range air-to-air missile (ASRAAM) was successfully test-fired from the F-35.

The ASRAAM is being integrated on the F-35 as part of the aircraft’s Block 3 system development and demonstration (SDD) programme.

Image: Meteor is a ramjet-powered missile that is designed to provide an all-weather capability to engage a wide variety of targets. Photo: courtesy of MBDA.

Airforce Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airforce Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.


Excellence in Action
Discover how Virtualitics is transforming mission readiness with explainable AI, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision intelligence across the U.S. Department of Defense through its AI-powered Integrated Readiness Optimization suite, for which it has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards.

Discover the Impact