MBDA's Meteor beyond visual-range air-to-air missile has completed initial fit trials with a Swedish air force Saab/BAE Systems JAS39 Gripen. Conducted at Saab Aerosystems' Linkoping site, the 21 April test successfully integrated a geometrically representative model of the weapon with the Gripen's multi-missile launcher.
The development starts a process which will lead to a Gripen test platform conducting the first captive firing of a Meteor over Sweden's Vidsel test range in the third quarter of 2005. Saab will conduct this trial under contract to Sweden's Defence Materiel Administration.
MBDA has now completed subscale aerodynamic windtunnel testing of the Meteor design, and will next conduct ground vibration trials and environmental and seeker data gathering tests of the weapon, says project partner Saab. In development under a £1.2 billion ($2.1 billion)contract, the ramjet-powered Meteor will arm multirole fighters flown by France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK from late 2012.
Source: Flight International
