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MBDA’s Ram jet powered Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) has concluded its guided firing programme with three direct hits from three firings during Government sponsored Electronic Protection Measure (EPM) trials against targets deploying countermeasures. The comprehensive development and Government trials programme involved a total of 21 air launched firings, providing evidence of a progressive maturity. As a result, MBDA is on track to complete qualification and make the first production deliveries of this unrivalled capability by the year end.
The main purpose of the firings was to gather data for the verification of the sophisticated modelling of the missile carried out by MBDA.


The firing programme was carried out in two main phases with development firings in 2006 -2008 followed by a Guided Firing campaign from 2009-2012. The Guided Firings and EPM were from Gripen and Tornado F3 against a variety of scenarios and were undertaken at ranges in the United Kingdom and Sweden.


There were also a series of over 40 seeker data gathering flights and more than 100 ground firings of the throttlable ducted rocket propulsion system. Unmatched by other missiles, the Propulsion System, developed by Bayern Chemie (a subsidiary of MBDA Germany) gives Meteor the ability to manoeuvre under power, even at the extreme ranges that it achieves while maintaining very high speeds.


The UK will be the first of the Partner Nations to receive deliveries of the production missile from MBDA's UK-based Lostock site, with the programme on schedule make the first delivery around the end of 2012.