Profile
- Origin
- Europe
- Built by
- MBDA
- Type
- Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
- Service note
- Operational service from 2016; integration and test work continues for Gripen E, F-35, and KF-21 aircraft
- Produced
- 2010s-present
Munitions
Meteor
Also known as
- METEOR
- Meteor BVRAAM
- Meteor missile
- MBDA Meteor
MBDA Meteor is a European beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by six partner nations under MBDA leadership. The missile combines active radar homing, datalinked mid-course updates, a blast-fragmentation warhead, and a variable-flow ducted rocket for sustained endgame energy; official sources document operational carriage on Gripen, Typhoon, and Rafale aircraft and ongoing integration or test activity for F-35 and KF-21 fighters.
Profile / Specs
Specifications
- Weight
- 190 kg
- Length
- 3.7 m
- Diameter
- 178 mm
- Propulsion
- Solid fuel variable-flow ducted rocket (ramjet)
- Guidance
- Active radar seeker
- Warhead
- Blast-fragmentation warhead
- Speed
- Over Mach 4
- Operational range
- Over 100 km
- Datalink
- Two-way datalink for mid-course updates and third-party targeting support
Carrier Aircraft
Meteor's operational value depends on fighter integration, with public evidence strongest for Gripen, Typhoon, Rafale, KF-21, and F-35 work.
| Carrier | Carrier type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Multirole fighter | MBDA's product brochure lists Rafale as an established Meteor fighter integration, and MBDA separately says Greece's Rafale package includes Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. Sources: METEOR Product Brochure, MBDA to arm Hellenic Air Force's new Rafale fighter jets |
 | Multirole fighter | The RAF's Typhoon FGR4 page lists Meteor among the aircraft's radar-guided long-range air-to-air weapons, and the RAF reported Typhoon QRA launches with Meteor in 2018. Sources: RAF Typhoon FGR4, Royal Air Force Typhoons launch with new missile |
 | Single-engine multirole fighter | Saab said Swedish Air Force Gripens were the first fighters operational with Meteor, and later reported Brazilian Gripen E Meteor firings during the BVR-X exercise. Sources: Saab: Gripen Leads The World With New Operational Capabilities, Saab: Brazilian Air Force conducts METEOR missile firings with Gripen E |
 | Fighter aircraft | KAI records KF-21 Meteor separation testing, while MBDA describes the Korean fighter as already equipped with Meteor in its later SPEAR integration announcement. Sources: KF-21 | KAI, Integration of the SPEAR missiles onto the KF-21 Boramae fighter |
F-35 Integration
F-35 evidence currently supports integration and test status rather than operational carriage in a named front-line unit.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | STOVL stealth multirole fighter | The RAF said a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B conducted the first Meteor test flights with an inert round to gather environmental data for UK weapons integration. Sources: Meteor's first flight on an F-35B |
Integration Status
Meteor's public status varies by aircraft: some fighter fleets carry it operationally, while newer aircraft are still in test or integration phases.
| Aircraft | Status | Documented context |
|---|---|---|
| Operational and live-fired by Gripen E | Saab identified Swedish Gripens as the first operational Meteor carrier and later reported Brazilian Gripen E Meteor firings during BVR-X. |
| Operational RAF carriage | The RAF lists Meteor on Typhoon FGR4 and reported Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert launches with the missile in 2018. |
| Established integration | MBDA's Meteor brochure lists Rafale as an established Meteor integration, and MBDA identifies Meteor in Rafale weapon packages for export customers. |
| Separation and integration evidence | KAI records Meteor separation testing; MBDA later described KF-21 as already equipped with Meteor while announcing SPEAR integration work. |
| Flight-test integration | The RAF reported F-35B Meteor carriage flights using an inert missile for environmental data collection. |
Timeline
Meteor Key Events
Gripen becomes first operational Meteor carrier
Saab said the Swedish Air Force's Gripens became the first combat aircraft to deploy an operational Meteor capability through the MS20 upgrade.
Sources: Saab: Gripen Leads The World With New Operational Capabilities
RAF Typhoon QRA launches with Meteor
RAF Typhoons launched from RAF Lossiemouth with Meteor missiles for a Quick Reaction Alert mission defending UK airspace.
Sources: Royal Air Force Typhoons launch with new missile
Gripen E live-fires Meteor
MBDA reported Saab's first Meteor firing from Gripen E over the Vidsel test range with a successful end-to-end result on the target.
Sources: Successful Meteor Live Firing with Gripen E
F-35B flight-test integration
The RAF reported the first F-35B test flights with a Meteor missile as part of the UK-led integration campaign.
Sources: Meteor's first flight on an F-35B
Brazilian Gripen E firings
Saab said the Brazilian Air Force conducted its first Meteor firings from Gripen E during the BVR-X technical exercise.
Sources: Saab: Brazilian Air Force conducts METEOR missile firings with Gripen E
F-35A ground integration milestone
MBDA, Lockheed Martin, and the F-35 Joint Program Office completed ground-based Meteor integration tests on the F-35A.
Sources: METEOR missile and F-35A one step closer to operational capability
Germany orders additional Meteor missiles
MBDA said Germany signed a further contract for Meteor missiles through the Meteor Integrated Joint Programme Office.
Sources: MBDA receives new order for more METEOR from Germany
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
METEOR - MBDAPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports Meteor manufacturer background, European partner origin, ramjet propulsion, warhead context, and aircraft integration references on the official product page. | Accessed: 2026-06-29METEOR Product BrochurePublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports Meteor dimensions, seeker type, propulsion, warhead description, two-way datalink, partner-nation service, and Rafale, Typhoon, Gripen, F-35, and KF-21 platform integration context from the official brochure. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MBDA to arm Hellenic Air Force's new Rafale fighter jetsPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports the Rafale carry relationship because MBDA says the Hellenic Air Force's new Rafales will also be armed with Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29RAF Typhoon FGR4Publisher: Royal Air Force | Note: Supports Typhoon FGR4 carriage of Meteor as a radar-guided long-range air-to-air missile. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Royal Air Force Typhoons launch with new missilePublisher: Royal Air Force | Note: Supports the 2018 RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert launch with Meteor missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Meteor's first flight on an F-35BPublisher: Royal Air Force | Note: Supports the F-35B test-flight relationship context and image provenance for the Meteor integration article. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Saab: Gripen Leads The World With New Operational CapabilitiesPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Swedish Air Force Gripen operational Meteor capability through the MS20 upgrade and Gripen's first operational Meteor-carrier status. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Saab: Gripen E Flies with MeteorPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Gripen E flight-test carriage of two Meteor missiles. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Successful Meteor Live Firing with Gripen EPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports the 2022 Gripen E Meteor test firing over the Vidsel test range. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Saab: Brazilian Air Force conducts METEOR missile firings with Gripen EPublisher: Saab | Note: Supports Brazilian Air Force Gripen E Meteor firings during the BVR-X technical exercise. | Accessed: 2026-06-29KF-21 | KAIPublisher: Korea Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports KF-21 Meteor separation testing during fighter development. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Integration of the SPEAR missiles onto the KF-21 Boramae fighterPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports KF-21 integration context because MBDA describes the Korean fighter as already equipped with Meteor while announcing later SPEAR work. | Accessed: 2026-06-29METEOR missile and F-35A one step closer to operational capabilityPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports the 2025 F-35A Meteor ground-based integration test milestone. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MBDA receives new order for more METEOR from GermanyPublisher: MBDA | Note: Supports the 2026 German follow-on Meteor order and continuing six-nation programme context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MBDA Meteor mounted on EF2000 at ILA-2022Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Meteor trainer missile mounted on a Eurofighter at ILA Berlin Airshow 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Meteor Missile in EuroFighterPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a Meteor missile displayed in a Eurofighter context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MBDA Meteor et Thales TaliosPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for MBDA Meteor and Thales Talios display models shown at the 2015 Paris Air Show. | Accessed: 2026-06-29MBDA Meteor and AIM-120 AAMRAM missiles at ILA-2024Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for Meteor displayed alongside AIM-120 training missiles at ILA Berlin Airshow 2024. | Accessed: 2026-06-29