The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) announced that an F-35B Lightning II fighter jet had released a Meteor air-to-air missile from its internal weapons bay for the first time…
The test was conducted as part of a program aimed at integrating the long-range missile onto British and Italian F-35B aircraft.
During the trial, the missile safely separated from the aircraft under complex airflow conditions, with its rocket motor unlit and control surfaces inactive.
The program is intended to provide British and Italian F-35B pilots with an additional weapon option for engaging crewed and autonomous aircraft beyond visual range.
Developed by MBDA, Meteor is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with an operational range of more than 120 kilometers and a maximum speed exceeding Mach 4.
The missile weighs approximately 190 kilograms and measures 3.7 meters in length. Its solid-fuel, variable-flow ramjet propulsion system sustains thrust throughout its flight until interception.
Equipped with an active radar seeker, inertial navigation system and two-way data link, Meteor can receive in-flight target updates and engage new targets…