The Marine Corps’ F-35B has conducted the first test launch of the Meteor long-range missile as part of the project to integrate it into a fighter jet.

The news was published on the Royal Air Force’s website.

The missile with an inert warhead was fired from the fighter’s internal compartment to collect metrics as part of the project to integrate British weapons into the F-35.

The flights were carried out from the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, made possible by cooperation between the UK and US governments, as well as organizations including the Ministry of Defense and relevant industrial partners MBDA and Lockheed Martin.

The Meteor is currently the main British long-range air-to-air missile used by Typhoon fighter jets.

The test is a step forward in ensuring Meteor capability on the F-35. While the United Kingdom is leading the campaign to integrate the missile into the F-35B, Italy is sponsoring a corresponding project for the F-35A, which will allow both fighter variants to employ advanced long-range interceptors.

“This milestone is a testament to the effective collaboration between the multinational government and industry partnerships we have. The inclusion of Meteor in the Lightning II will enhance the air combat capability of the UK and F-35 users, significantly increasing security among allies,” said the officer responsible for aviation missile weapons, Commodore Al Roberts (analogue of a colonel in the structure of the Ukrainian Air Force, editor’s note).

The introduction of the new missile on the F-35 has been underway for a long time. In 2019, Lockheed Martin received initial funding to begin integration. The project includes integration of the missiles into both the F-35B with short take-off and vertical landing and the F-35A with conventional take-off and landing.

The UK’s involvement in the project became known in January last year. The British Ministry of Defence confirmed that its stealthy F-35B fighters would be armed with the Meteor air-to-air missiles and SPEAR 3 precision munitions “by the end of the decade.”

MBDA Meteor

Together with the new radar that will be integrated during the F-35B Block 4 upgrade, the Meteor long-range missiles are expected to significantly extend the maximum range of targets and complement the existing medium- and short-range interceptors.

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.

After launch, the missile is guided by an inertial system with corrections based on signals from the carrier aircraft, which must guide the target with its own radar. On the final segment of the path, the missile activates its own active radar seeker, which guides the missile precisely to the target.