Meteor Missile Upgrade For Swedish Gripen C/D Aircraft

Swedish Gripen C/D Fighter Aircraft will be upgraded with the Meteor missile along with a host of other upgrades that constitute the Version 20.

In the spring of 2016, all Swedish Gripen C/D aircrafts will be upgraded to Gripen version 20. The new version brings major changes, both in hardware and software, Swedish defense material agency (FMV) said in a statement Monday.

The biggest change is the Meteor missile. It will give Gripen significantly increased long-range air-to-air capability and give the Gripen fighter conditions to change the balance of air superiority.

The missile interacts with the aircraft's sensors and support systems to detect and defeat enemy aircrafts. Propulsion is managed by a ramjet engine.

“The ramjet engine provides a significant increase in range. It makes it harder for an enemy to protect themselves from Meteor compared with missiles operated with conventional propelled rocket [engines],” says Michael Östergren, project manager for the version 20 upgrade at FMV.

“SDB is a precision weapon for ground targets that are dropped from the aircraft at a great stand-off distance. The SDB is loaded with target data from the aircraft prior launch and then guides itself to the target,” says Michael.

CBRN protection is also strengthened in release 20. The new protection against CBRN, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, protects the pilot in contaminated environments during the mission and also makes it possible for ground crews to effectively decontaminate the aircraft once it has landed.

Another innovation is the Ground Collision Avoidance System. The system automatically prevents the aircraft from hitting the ground if it enters an uncontrolled situation.