Germany Orders Additional Meteor Missiles from MBDA

Germany has signed a new contract with MBDA to procure additional Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles for the Bundeswehr.

The order was placed through the Meteor Integrated Joint Programme Office on behalf of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, following earlier acquisitions of the missile system.

Meteor is designed to engage enemy aircraft at distances of about 40 km or more, enabling engagements before opposing pilots establish visual contact. The missile weighs roughly 190 kg and is intended to maintain high speed, range and maneuverability.

It is capable of multi-shot engagements against fast, maneuvering fighter aircraft and smaller targets such as drones and cruise missiles.

Meteor uses a solid-fuel, variable-flow ramjet motor produced in Germany by its subsidiary Bayern-Chemie, which provides sustained thrust until intercept. This propulsion allows the missile to maintain a large No Escape Zone, defined as the area in which a target cannot evade due to limited time or maneuvering space.

The missile is guided by an active radar seeker and fitted with impact and proximity fuses, as well as a blast fragmentation warhead, enabling operation across a wide range of combat environments.

Meteor is developed through a multinational European partnership involving Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Sweden. The missile is operational on several fighter aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen and South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae.

In 2025, Meteor recorded further milestones, including progress on integration with the F-35, with a first flight on the F-35B variant and ground testing ahead of flight trials on the F-35A. In November 2025, Brazil confirmed a test firing of Meteor from its F-39E Gripen fighters.