Washington: Drawing lessons from the India-Pakistan clashes in May, the United States is preparing to equip its F-35 stealth fighter jets with the advanced European Meteor missile. The move signals an upgrade in air combat capabilities. Europe’s most sophisticated air-to-air missile, the Meteor boasts a range of up to 200 kilometres and is powered by a ramjet engine, creating a ‘no-escape zone’ for enemy aircraft.
Its two-way data link and advanced targeting systems make it one of the most lethal beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles (BVR AAMs) presently in service.
According to reports, the F-35 Joint Programme Office (JPO) recently completed a series of crucial ground-based integration tests with the Meteor missile and the F-35A fighter. Conducted in collaboration with MBDA and Lockheed Martin, these tests validated the essential hardware responses between the missile and the fifth-generation fighter before airborne trials could begin. The tests included ground vibration assessments and fit checks, ensuring the missile could be safely loaded and deployed from the F-35A’s internal weapons bay.
Photographs released by the F-35 JPO show the Meteor missile loaded inside the F-35A’s internal bay. The tests covered single and dual missile payload configurations, confirming that the integration could accommodate multiple missiles while preserving the stealth profile of the aircraft.
Successful integration on the F-35A will also pave the way for other operators of the stealth jet, including the United Kingdom, Italy and allied nations, to deploy the Meteor on their F-35 fleets.
The missile, developed by European nations, has already proven its reliability in previous trials. Britain successfully conducted live flight tests on the F-35B, while Italy has been sponsoring integration for the F-35A. On November 28, Brazil’s Gripen-E fighter carried out the missile’s first live firing, demonstrating its lethal capabilities and highlighting its growing international demand.
The Meteor is already being integrated with other platforms such as Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen and now F-35 jets, used widely by NATO allies.
The missile’s long-range engagement capability of 200 kilometres, combined with its ramjet propulsion and two-way data link, ensures it can create a ‘no-escape zone’ for enemy aircraft. Its integration with stealth platforms like the F-35 is expected to influence air combat strategies across the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East over the next decade, strengthening the ability to counter threats such as China’s PL-15 missile, Russia’s S-400 systems and other advanced aerial weapons.
With the F-35 and Meteor combination, the Pentagon is signalling a decisive step in modernising aerial combat readiness, learning from recent regional conflicts, and preparing for the evolving landscape of high-end air warfare.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
