What is a Meteor Missile?

Meteor Missile Latest News

A US Marine Corps (USMC) F-35B Lightning II recently flew its first-ever test missions with the Meteor air-to-air missile.

About Meteor Missile

• It is an advanced radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM).
• METEOR has been developed by a group of European partners led by MBDA to meet the needs of six European nations: the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden.

Meteor Missile Features

• It has a length of 3.65 m and a diameter of 0.178 m. 
• Unlike most similar solid-fuel missiles, the Meteor is equipped with a ramjet engine, which allows for controlled flight speed, complex maneuvers, and a range of more than 100 kilometers.
• Designed for a speed greater than Mach 4, the missile has a large no-escape zone.
• Guided by an advanced active radar seeker, Meteor provides all-weather capability to engage a wide variety of targets from agile fast jets to small UAVs and cruise missiles. 
• It is equipped with a two-way datalink, which allows the launch platform to provide updates on targets or re-targeting when the missile is in flight. 
• The datalink is capable of transmitting information such as kinematic status. It also notifies target acquisition by the seeker.
• The missile is equipped with a blast-fragmentation warhead.

Meteor Missile FAQs

Q1. Does India have Meteor missiles?

Ans. Yes, India has Meteor missiles.

Q2. What is the range of Meteor missile?

Ans. It has a combat range of 200 km.

Q3. What is MBDA?

Ans. MBDA (Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia) is a European multinational defense company specializing in the design and manufacture of missile systems.

Source: ET