Meteor Missile:
A US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B Lightning II recently flew its first-ever test missions with the Meteor air-to-air missile.
- It is an advanced radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
- METEOR has been developed by a group of European partners led by MBDA to meet the needs of six European nations: the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.
- It has a length of 3.65 m and a diameter of 0.178 m.
- Unlike most similar solid-fuel missiles, the Meteor is equipped with a ramjet engine, which allows for controlled flight speed, complex maneuvers, and a range of more than 100 kilometers.
- Designed for a speed greater than Mach 4, the missile has a large no-escape zone.
- Guided by an advanced active radar seeker, Meteor provides all-weather capability to engage a wide variety of targets from agile fast jets to small UAVs and cruise missiles.
- It is equipped with a two-way datalink, which allows the launch platform to provide updates on targets or re-targeting when the missile is in flight.
- The datalink is capable of transmitting information such as kinematic status. It also notifies target acquisition by the seeker.
- The missile is equipped with a blast-fragmentation warhead.
