Meteor missile closer to deployment with Swedish Air Force

LINKOPING, Sweden, July 8 (UPI) -- Pre-deployment trials of MBDA's Meteor missile integrated onto a Gripen fighter have been completed by Saab and the Sweden's Defense Materiel Administration.

The tests, which verified successful integration and validated seeker performance and missile range, were the last hurdle before operational deployment and testing of the Meteor BVRAAM -- beyond visual-range air-to-air missile.

"For Saab Aeronautics it has been a privilege to work together with the Meteor team during the development program," said Tobias Andersson, project manager for Meteor integration, Saab.

"The integration of this capability for the Swedish Air Force is a first for this kind of BVR missile. Sweden now has a head start in developing strategies to use this capability in air combat."

Saab said the Meteor capability will be delivered to the Swedish Air Force as part of Gripen's latest Materiel System 20 combat systems update for the Swedish Air Force. Once MS20 has been cleared for service, Sweden, and Gripen, will have the world's first and only functional Meteor BVRAAM capability.

Meteor is a ramjet-powered, very long-range air-to-air missile.