The BVRAAM team was setup in response to the UK’s requirement to develop a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile capability for the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoon. The programme was subsequently joined by Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Sweden who had similar BVRAAM requirements. For this reason the BVRAAM team hosts the Meteor Internation Joint Programme Office (MIJPO), which is responsible to the six Partner Nations for the management of the Meteor programme on their behalf.
The contract for Meteor was placed with MBDA UK Ltd in December 2002 to develop a Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile for the Typhoon (UK, Italy, Germany, & Spain), Gripen (Sweden) and Rafale (France) aircraft, equipping the Nations with a world class capability against future threats.
Meteor will provide the Six Nations with the capability to sustain air superiority and combat future projected air-to-air threats. Key features of Meteor include stealthy launch, enhanced kinematics utilising Ramjet technology (giving increased stand-off and disengagement ranges, a better ability to chase and destroy highly agile manoeuvring targets) and robust performance against countermeasures.
The development programme is progressing well and is meeting all of its key milestones. The first UK firing of the missile has successfully taken place, and the first of two active seeker firings have taken place at the Vidsel range in Sweden, with the second due to occur in early 2008.
A series of further firings, aimed to prove the missile’s capabilities and design are planned to commence towards the end of 2008 and will continue through to the end of the development programme in late 2011.