Partners to decide on Meteor MLU by end of 2024

A Meteor missile aboard a Swedish Gripen combat aircraft. The six partner countries are assessing a potential mid-life upgrade, with a decision to be made by the end of 2024. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The partner countries will decide before the end of 2024 on the scope and scale of a planned mid-life upgrade (MLU) to the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).

Answering questions in the House of Commons, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) James Cartlidge said on 8 February that the UK and the five other partner countries of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden will decide on the path forward by the end of 2024.

“The UK, together with the five other Meteor partner [countries], continues to assess mid-life options for Meteor and expects to reach a formal decision on the way forward by the end of 2024,” he said.

Details pertaining to the potential MLU have not been disclosed, but as noted by Janes Weapons: Air Launched , it could entail equipping the missile with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker, and improving the propulsion system potentially through adaptive air intakes or variable geometry intakes. In addition, MBDA is assessing the integration of a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit for a ground‐attack capability for the Meteor.

The Meteor is integrated aboard the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab Gripen, and is to be carried by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 Boramae also. As well as the six partner countries, the missile is in service or selected by Brazil, Egypt, Greece, India, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Qatar.