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Conal Walker of Matra BAe Dynamics profiles his company’s proposed solution to the UK’s beyond visual range, air-to-air missile requirement |
Predicting Meteor storms |
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| The European team that is offering the cost-effective Meteor weapon system to fulfil the Royal Air Force’s beyond visual range, air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) requirement is being led by Matra BAe Dynamics (UK).
The UK requirement for an advanced BVRAAM to replace the technologically ageing AMRAAM system has attracted interest throughout Europe. The participating governments of Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Sweden are looking to the UK to take the lead in advancing Europe’s technological and military capability in the BVRAAM field. The entry of the French government into the programme during 1999 showed the strength of feeling across Europe in favour of Meteor. All believe that Meteor is a vital component for arming their fourth-generation fighter aircraft that will come into service with European air forces later this year. European commitment to Meteor continues to grow, the governments involved have offered to contribute to the cost of developing what will be the world’s most advanced air-to-air missile. Several nations are thinking about maximising their contributions. The UK’s percentage is likely to be approximately 45 per cent, but if it wished it could be as low as 35 per cent while maintaining leadership of the programme. One-off cost The affordability of the Meteor missile is boosted further when a broader spectrum of costs rather than price alone is considered. The Meteor ramjet-powered missile that fully meets the RAF’s requirement, will not need an expensive motor upgrade to achieve the desired performance as will be the case if a non-ramjet solution is chosen. Consequently, development of Meteor will be a one-off cost to be borne within a contractually specified time-frame. The Meteor missile will give the RAF the air superiority it seeks in future combat resulting in fewer anticipated Eurofighter losses through air-to-air combat than could be expected if a less well- specified missile were used. Therefore the cost in terms of aircraft and crew should be considered when balancing the cost of the Meteor and alternative solutions. The higher specification Meteor will, as an effectiveness and investment appraisal study has shown, require fewer missiles to engage the threat than a less well-specified solution. Such a solution also would necessitate the purchase of a number of missiles to match the combat capability of one Meteor missile.
In defence of jobs Selecting Meteor will have some important benefits for the UK. The choice of Meteor for the UK will help to bolster jobs within the British guided weapons industry. Development and production of Meteor for participating governments along with future exports, will generate and secure 1,200 high-tech jobs throughout the UK. This is vital in promoting the success of our indigenous guided-weapon industry that has armed our forces with British weapons for the past 50 years. Meteor will ensure the core competencies in air-to-air missiles that already exist in the UK are retained for now and the future. Support has come from the director general of the federation of the electronics industry who has emphasised how British companies will lead the development of the world-beating seeker and missile computer if Meteor is selected. The alternative is to rely on US missile companies supplying their technology and designs to UK companies as they see fit. Meteor gives full control of the technology to the UK and the participating governments. The choice of Meteor will help to protect the investment made in Eurofighter by allowing the UK to export Eurofighter without reference to the US Congress for approval. Choosing Meteor will ensure that export controls are retained in Europe complementing the controls over Eurofighter sales. This gives Europe the flexibility to match Meteor and Eurofighter sales to the benefit of both in the export market while protecting subsequent export revenues generated. The selection of a US missile will put control of future sales in the hands of the US Congress that will have the right to veto sales, leaving potential export revenues vulnerable. Ramjet solution The need for a BVRAAM missile on Eurofighter remains certain. In the early years of this century the air-combat scenario can be expected to become more advanced and more hazardous. Throughout the competition the Meteor team has remained focused on its ramjet solution as the only missile system for Eurofighter. The US solution for meeting the threat faced by their aircrews has been to invest considerable amounts in the F-22 stealth fighter. As the United States Air Force’s air dominance capability based on the ageing F-15/AMRAAM solution starts to decline, they remain committed to the $60bn expense that is the F-22 programme. Cost-effective mix The European answer has been a more cost-effective mix of investment in aircraft and weapons. Only the Meteor missile will give our Eurofighters the capability of meeting and beating the same threat for which the US is developing the F-22, but at a fraction of the cost. In anticipation of future coali-tion operations such as Kosovo, Eurofighter and Meteor will provide the RAF and other European air forces with the capability of sharing the air superiority burden with our US allies. The combination will enhance the ability of European operators of Eurofighter/ Meteor to work together in international operations if US air support is not forthcoming. Meteor strengthens and also empowers European industrial and military capability, but the Meteor offer is not exclusive to Europe. In October 1999 the US aerospace company Boeing was welcomed into the Meteor team. This expression of confidence by the world’s largest aerospace company in the Meteor programme opens the way for a true transatlantic relationship in guided-weapons co-operation to develop. This relationship allows for both companies to gain access to those markets previously closed to them. It will give Boeing an entry into the air-to-air missile market while the Meteor team will have access to the US market. Furthermore, this move brings operators of US-developed aircraft a competitive choice of how best to arm their aircraft for air combat during the next decade or so. This will be at a time when AMRAAM-class solutions are much more likely to be seen as costly in terms of potential aircraft and pilot losses. Best air-to-air missile Support for the Meteor missile extends beyond the guided weapons industry. Eurofighter GmbH has given its first endorsement of a weapon system by coming out in support of Meteor as the BVRAAM weapon of choice for their aircraft. Eurofighter GmbH stated: “Meteor is the best air-to-air missile for the Eurofighter, and the combination of Meteor and Eurofighter will give the RAF a superior weapons system whatever the future brings”. This is a ringing endorsement of the Meteor missile as well as the capability that it brings to Eurofighter. The governments of Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Sweden, the Meteor team and Eurofighter GmbH, all believe that the Meteor missile is the right BVRAAM for the UK requirement. And all are looking to the United Kingdom to choose Meteor and are confident that the selection of the Meteor missile is in the best interests of everyone involved. © |
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"The Meteor will give the RAF air superiority in future combat and result in fewer Eurofighter losses in air-to-air combat" |
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"Production of Meteor for participating governments, plus future exports, will generate and secure 1,200 high-tech jobs in the UK" |
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