Meteor Air-to-Air Missile Sees First Test Flight on F-35 Fighter: What Capabilities Does it Introduce

The Meteor radar guided air-to-air missile has been test flown for the first time on an F-35B fighter, in preparation for operationalisation with the aircraft around 2030. F-35s around the world currently deploy only a single class of radar guided air to air missile, the AIM-120C/D, with the more capable AIM-260 and the pan-European Meteor both being intended to enhance the capabilities of the fighters. Although the Meteor was not fired during flight, and was flown with an inert Motor, the beginning of test flights was hailed in the United Kingdom where it took place as a major milestone. The British Royal Air Force’s Head of Air-to-Air Missiles Air Commodore Al Roberts stated to this effect: “This milestone is a testament to the effective collaboration between the multinational governmental and industrial partnerships that we have in place. Inclusion of Meteor onto the Lightning II will bring this formidable air combat capability to the U.K. and to the burgeoning F-35 community, significantly enhancing security among allies.”

The F-35 is expected to be made compatible with the Meteor once the aircraft are brought to a Block 4 standard, which has proven to be a highly protracted process that will now only be fully realised in the early 2030s. The missile was developed jointly under a joint program by Britain, Germany, Sweden, France, Italy and Spain, and was designed with the goal of outperforming the American AIM-120, although it reportedly benefitted from significant American technology transfers to achieve this. The missile gained an Initial Operating Capability in 2016, and introduced a superior range and overall kinematic performance to the AIM-120. Its most notable feature is the use of a propulsion system more closely resembling that of a cruise missile due to its reliance on a variable flow ducted rocket (ramjet) in place of a rocket motor. This allows the Meteor to throttle its engine in flight, rather than expending its energy in a single unmodulated burn cycle. It can thereby maintain more energy for its terminal attack phase to perform extreme manoeuvres and climb fast.

Despite its advanced capabilities, the Meteor’s cost effectiveness, has repeatedly been brought to question with a price of well over $2 million each. Major delays to operationalising the missile with the F-35 has allowed the United States to develop its own next generation radar guided air to air missile class, the AIM-260, the competition from which is expected to seriously undermine the Meteor’s appeal to F-35 operators beyond the developing partner countries. Only the United Kingdom and Italy are confirmed to be intending to integrate Meteors onto their F-35s, with a significant possibility remaining that other partner countries in the missile’s development such as Germany will prefer the AIM-260. The introduction of more capable successors to the AIM-120 has gained growing emphasis in the Western world due primarily to China’s development of the PL-15, PL-16 and PL-XX missiles, all of which are considered to comfortably outperform the most capable variants of the American missile. Russia’s introduction of the R-77M and development of the Izdeliye 610M air-to-air missiles for its Su-57 fighter have also been more minor factors.