Farnborough 2016: Meteor enters service on Sweden's Gripens

[Zarvan]

The Gripen is now in operational service with the MBDA Meteor BVRAAM. Source: MBDA
The MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile (AAM) has entered service on the Swedish Air Force's (SwAF's) Saab JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, making it the first fighter to operate the very long-range (100 km+) missile.

Introducing the missile, termed a beyond-visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) by MBDA, came as part of the MS20 upgrade to the Gripen. This also included clearance of other new functions to the Gripen, including the Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), full implementation of the Link 16 datalink, as well as radar and other enhancements, Major General Mats Helgesson, chief of staff of the SwAF stated on 11 July at the Farnborough International Airshow 2016.

Maj Gen Helgesson added, "Meteor is in our perception the most lethal radar guided air-to-air missile in operational service in the world, and the Swedish Air Force is the only operational user so far. Combined with the IRIS-T heat-seeking missile we have the best air-to-air weaponry you can find in the world."

Meteor is consistently referred to as a game-changer by militaries and industry involved in the development of the missile. This is because of the extreme range of the missile and that its dual rocket and ramjet propulsion system continues to provide power and acceleration even at maximum range. Traditional rocket-powered AAMs tend to only be powered for their initial flight phase, and thus suffer significantly reduced performance in their terminal phase when at maximum range.

Explaining this, Maj Gen Helgesson said, "With this revolutionary capability of the Meteor, Gripen can engage targets with less risk for our pilots. This is not only because of the superior kinematic performance it's also because of the superior no escape zone of the missile, the smart control of the ramjet engine optimises the trajectory and speed depending on the situation in order to maximise the no-escape zone."

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