Key Points and Summary – MBDA, Lockheed Martin, and the F-35 Joint Program Office have completed key ground-integration tests of the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile on the F-35A, clearing the way for flight trials. The missile will give the F-35 a weapon that can attack at close to hypersonic speeds.
-Originally developed by six European nations and already flying on Gripen, Rafale, and Eurofighter, Meteor uses a ramjet and two-way data link to maintain powered flight and a large “no-escape” zone out past typical AMRAAM ranges.
NAS PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — An F-35 Lightning II test pilot conducts the first flight test to certify the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the fighter aircraft for carrying the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). As part of ongoing weapon integration efforts, the Pax River F-35 Integrated Test Force (Pax ITF) team for the first time flew test flights Jan. 14 with two AGM-158 loaded on external stations. LRASM is a defined near-term solution for the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) air-launch capability gap that will provide flexible, long-range, advanced, anti-surface capability against high-threat maritime targets. The Pax River ITF’s mission is to effectively plan, coordinate, and conduct safe, secure, and efficient flight test for F-35B and C variants, and provide necessary and timely data to support program verification / certification and fleet operational requirements.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot and commander, flies an aerial performance for the 2021 Arctic Lightning Air Show, July 30, 2021, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The F-35 Demonstration Team utilized F-35s from the 354th Fighter Wing in order to showcase the combat capability of the Pacific Air Force’s newest F-35 units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Kip Sumner)
-The U.K. leads F-35B integration, Italy backs F-35A work, and recent tests at Edwards Air Force Base confirmed safe internal bay carriage—preserving stealth as the system moves toward operational use in the early 2030s.
The Meteor Missile Is Almost Ready for the F-35A
The Missile Defense Association (MBDA) and Lockheed Martin, along with the F-35 Joint Program Office, recently announced that they have “completed a series of critical ground-based integration tests” for the F-35A and the Meteor, the Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM). This brings the combination “closer to operational readiness.”
The Meteor, as announced, is “the result of a six-nation cooperation program involving the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Sweden.” MBDA is a France-based multinational that specializes in missiles.
About the Missile
Per MBDA’s website, other “platforms” for the Meteor include the Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen, and Rafale. South Korea has also been testing Meteor for “deployment on the KF-21 Boramae,” the company says.
“METEOR is the next generation Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) system designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat in the 21st century,” the website says. The six countries that developed it share “a common need to defeat the threats of today and in the future.”
That site also explains how it works.
“This ‘ramjet’ motor provides the missile with thrust all the way to target intercept, providing the largest No Escape Zone of any air-to-air missile system, several times greater than current MRAAMs. The fragmentation warhead ensures maximum lethality,” the site says.
Image is of Saab Gripen fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Meteor first flew in 2016, on Sweden’s Gripens.
Passing the Test
The announcement says that the U.K. is “leading the integration campaign for F-35B,” while Italy is “sponsoring integration onto the F-35A model.” Back in March, the Royal Air Force announced that it had undertaken the first flight tests of a Meteor Missile. In that case, the U.S. and U.K. collaborated on the test.
In May, the British Ministry of Defense answered some questions about the planned integration. When asked about the program, Labour MP Maria Eagle, then the Minister of State for Defence Procurement and Industry, answered that “Integration of the MBDA Meteor ramjet-powered air-to-air missile with F-35B is driven by the US-led Lightning II Joint Programme Office; the estimated current timeline for in-service capability is expected to be early 2030s.”
And while the U.S. is not among the countries that collaborated on the missile’s development, the more recent test was held at Edwards Air Force Base.
“Conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, California, the ground vibration testing and fit checks validated key hardware responses between the 5th Generation fighter aircraft and missile — a pivotal step before airborne tests begin,” the announcement said. “Engineers meticulously evaluated the data collected from the trials to confirm the safe stowage and deployment of the missile from the F-35A’s internal weapons bay, preserving the aircraft’s valuable stealth profile.”
First flight with first Gripen E for Sweden.
One more ground test is necessary before it’s cleared for flight testing.
“At the heart of this advanced capability is METEOR’s ramjet propulsion, which uses a solid-fuel, variable-flow ducted rocket design. Unlike traditional missiles that rely on an initial boost and then coast unpowered, METEOR’s ramjet delivers sustained thrust right up until intercepting a threat,” the announcement of the test says.
“Interception is aided by an active radar seeker for terminal guidance, and supported by inertial mid-course navigation augmented by a two-way data link. This datalink enables target updates or mid-flight retargeting. When a threat inevitably fails to escape, METEOR’s blast-fragmentation warhead neutralizes it. Dual fusing – impact and proximity – maximizes the warhead’s effectiveness.”
Interesting Engineering describes the Meteor as “Europe’s most feared missile.”
The China Side?
A Eurasian Times report, meanwhile, examined the news of the integration tests through the lens of events in Asia, including the development of China’s PL-15 missile and the recent clash between India and Pakistan.
“The Meteor — Europe’s most advanced air-to-air missile (AAMs) — sat silent during the May 2025 India-Pakistan clash while Chinese PL-15 and Russian S-400 & BrahMos missiles dominated headlines. Now the Pentagon has quietly begun loading the Meteor AAMs onto F-35A stealth fighters,” the Eurasian Times analysis said.
“Interestingly, the F-35 JPO’s statement about integrating the Meteor missile with the F-35A fighter jets comes just days after a Gripen-E combat aircraft belonging to the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira or FAB) fired the Meteor air-to-air missile for the first time, validating the integration of the missile on the most advanced variant of the Gripen aircraft,” Eurasian Times added.
F-35A. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Saab had touted the test in a December 2 announcement, just days before the test was disclosed at Edwards.
Those tests, the report added, “demonstrate the continued global appeal of the BVR AAM developed by MBDA.”
Eurasian Times also said that it’s unclear whether India used the Meteor in its recent exchange of fire with Pakistan.
“While both sides have made claims about shooting down multiple fighter jets of the other country, Pakistan claimed to score air-to-air kills from the Chinese-origin PL-15 missiles. In contrast, India claimed scoring long-range surface-to-air kills from the Russian-origin S-400 missile, besides multiple air-to-surface kills from BrahMos missiles fired from the Su-30MKI fighter jets,” Eurasian Times reported.
“This raises the question of why India did not use the Meteor, arguably one of the best air-to-air missiles, during the high-stakes conflict. Alternatively, if India did use the Meteor, why did it fail to score an air-to-air kill?”
In a separate piece on December 2, in reference to the Brazil Meteor test, Eurasian Times noted that Brazil is a neighbor and nominally an ally of Venezuela, a country currently amid heavy tensions with the United States.
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has been critical of the U.S. for serving as a “source of tension” that could “inflame South America,” while encouraging diplomacy between Washington and Caracas.
Meanwhile, Defence Express reported in November that the Netherlands had chosen Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM missile over the Meteor, with localized production inside that country.
Why did they do this?
“The AIM-120 is a multi-role missile that also arms NASAMS air defense systems. The Netherlands currently operates two NASAMS batteries and plans to acquire 13 more, intending to equip them not only with standard AIM-120s but also with the extended-range AMRAAM-ER (50 km). Meanwhile, MBDA has shown no public interest in adapting the Meteor for surface-to-air use,” the report said.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
