GDR 99 - Missile Systems

Meteoric Rise: Matra BAe's Meteor BVRAAM


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• Countering Proliferation • Oerlikon Aerospace • Hypersonics: a New Age Dawns • Hi-Tech, Low Cost • The Imperative of Interoperability • ARC Enjoys Rocketing Growth • Apaches Reach Out for Hydra • Aiming High: Raytheon's FMRAAM • Meteoric Rise: Matra BAe's Meteor
Top: An artist's impression of Meteor being fired from the Eurofighter

Sheldon Hind of Matra BAe Dynamics profiles his company's bid for the UK's beyond visual range missile requirement.

It seems appropriate that a pan-national company such as Matra BAe Dynamics should propose a pan-national solution such as Meteor for the next-generation European medium- range air-to-air missile (MRAAM) to arm Eurofighter/Typhoon and JAS 39 Gripen.

The multi-company, collaborative nature of this programme is a key selling point for the weapon system in addition to its unrivalled capabilities. Matra BAe Dynamics is leading a European team that comprises LFK, Alenia Difesa, Casa, GEC-Marconi and Saab Dynamics. These companies represent the Eurofighter nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and Sweden with its JAS 39 Gripen.

In its submission to the UK government for the Staff Requirement (Air) 1239, known as the beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM), the Meteor team stressed these benefits and the system's outstanding operational capabilities. It also emphasised the importance of the contract for retaining expertise and advanced technologies within Europe, as well as furthering the process of consolidation in the European guided weapons industry.

This strategic programme is critical for the future of the guided weapons industry in Europe because it is likely to be the last major European air-launched missile programme for the next two decades. Choosing Meteor will give a return from the considerable European government and industrial investment in the research, development and production of Eurofighter/Typhoon that has taken place. Such a choice would be strategically prudent because it will ensure that Europe does not have to rely on the US for future MRAAM programmes. There is a threat that if a US missile system is selected, the export potential of Eurofighter/ Typhoon will be seriously curtailed by restrictions imposed by the US government.


Five companies representing the four Eurofighter nations, plus Sweden with its JAS 39 Gripen, are involved in the Meteor programme

The system has been designed for integration on Eurofighter/Typhoon and the JAS 39 Gripen to maximise their operational capabilities, providing air forces equipped with these aircraft total air superiority into the next century. Meteor also will be compatible with other contemporary fighter aircraft.

Meteor is an autonomous, all-weather, shoot-up/shoot-down weapon system that can operate effectively in dense electronic warfare environments. It has the energy and agility to destroy even the most agile threats at long and short ranges, and possesses multi-target engagement capability.

Analysis has shown that Meteor's performance is many times greater than current medium-range air-to-air missiles including the US AMRAAM, and it also has been optimised to have excellent no-escape-zone performance. Meteor provides a cost-effective solution because national development and aircraft integration costs can be shared and production costs reduced because of economies of scale.

In the missile's pre-launch phase, the targets are designated by the carrier. If facing multiple targets, the aircraft system can prioritise them, depending on the level of threat, and then engage, with the missiles being fired singly or in rapid sequence. Close-range targets can be engaged autonomously using the missile's fire- and-forget mode. Once fired, Meteor is guided inertially during its initial flight phase. In the mid-course phase, pilot situation awareness is greatly enhanced by a sophisticated two-way data-link system capable of providing the missile with target update data and providing missile in-flight data to the controlling aircraft. When in range, the missile uses its active radar seeker to track the target autonomously. To ensure end-game lethality, the system is equipped with proximity and impact fuses as well as an advanced blast fragmentation warhead.

Essential manoeuvrability
Other features of Meteor include a variable flow ducted rocked ramjet together with four mid-mounted wings and four aft-mounted fins that ensure high velocity with excellent agility. The Meteor partners believe this performance is essential for delivering the characteristics necessary to meet current and future threats.

A significant potential for growth has been built in to ensure that Meteor can defeat other advanced threats and new countermeasures techniques that may be employed. The system is versatile and could be very effective in alternative applications such as land/sea-based surface-to-air systems or air-to-surface weapons.

The European team considers that the Meteor weapon system is at the cutting edge of technology and the multi-company/multi-nation approach to the programme also is the way ahead for the future. This approach offers the best solution for designing and developing systems to meet evolving threats and providing customers with true value for money.