Marine Corps' F‑35B tests cutting-edge Meteor missile
An F-35B belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps has started test flights with the long-range air-to-air missile MBDA Meteor.
According to the Royal Air Force, on February 28, 2025, a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B conducted its first test flights with the MBDA Meteor missile. So far, only a test specimen has been used, with its sensors gathering the environmental data necessary for further integration stages of this missile with F-35B aircraft operated by the United Kingdom.
The flights took place from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, thanks to the cooperation between the UK and U.S. governments, as well as organizations like Defence Equipment & Support and industrial partners MBDA and Lockheed Martin. Air Commodore Al Roberts, head of the RAF's air-to-air missile division, also commented on this historic event.
MBDA Meteor — a unique air-to-air missile from Europe
The MBDA Meteor missile is a European project developed through the collaboration of six countries: the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden. Its serial production began in 2003. This advanced air-to-air missile has now been integrated with Swedish Gripens, European Eurofighters, and French Rafales.
The Meteor is estimated to have a range of up to 125 miles. Its advantage over competitive solutions like the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile lies in its superior maneuverability during the final phase of flight. Unlike a typical rocket engine which burns out a few seconds after launch, leaving the missile to move solely by momentum, the MBDA Meteor still has an active engine.
Original solution
The MBDA Meteor uses a small rocket engine in the initial phase to accelerate the missile to the speed necessary to activate the ramjet engine. Unlike rocket engines, the ramjet draws the oxygen needed for the combustion reaction from the atmosphere, rather than from an oxidizer contained in the rocket fuel. This allows for more combustible material to fit in the same space, extending its operational duration.
Moreover, the Meteor's engine can adjust its thrust, allowing it to conserve fuel for the final phase of flight, when the target may execute evasive maneuvers. An active radar seeker and a two-way communication link with the aircraft help locate the target, allowing for precise adjustments to destroy the object with the fragmentation warhead.
