Swedish Air Force NASTY SURPRISE for Russian Air Force

• published: 14 Jan 2015
• views: 301

Another great idea for the Swedish air force this new missile will be a boost for Swedish military power and give the Russian air force something to think about. Meteor is an active radar guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) being developed by MBDA. Meteor will offer a multi-shot capability against long range manoeuvring targets in a heavy electronic countermeasures (ECM) environment with range in excess of 100km. It is intended to equip the Eurofighter Typhoons of the United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF), Germany's Luftwaffe, Spain's Ejército del Aire and Italy's Aeronautica Militare Italiana, British and Italian F-35s, French Dassault Rafale, and the Saab JAS 39 Gripen of the Swedish Air Force. It is scheduled to enter service for with the RAF and with the Swedish Air Force in 2015, possibly with the SwAF as the first operator of the missile due to most testing having been done on the JAS-39.[5] According to MBDA, Meteor has three to six times the kinematic performance of current air-air missiles of its type. The key to Meteor's performance is a throttleable ducted rocket (ramjet) manufactured by Bayern-Chemie of Germany.[6] Type Beyond visual range air-to-air missile Service history In service Not yet in service; development to be completed in 2013. Production history Manufacturer MBDA Unit cost GBP 1,000,000 (estimated in 2003)[1] Specifications Weight 185 kg (407 lb)[2] Length 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)[2] Diameter 0.178 m (7.0 in) Warhead High explosive blast-fragmentation Detonation mechanism Proximity/impact fuze Engine Throttleable ducted rocket Operational range 100+ km (63+ mi)[3][4][N 1] Speed over Mach 4 Guidance system Inertial mid-course with datalinked updates, active radar Launch platform Eurofighter Typhoon Dassault Rafale Saab JAS 39 Gripen F-35 (Pending) evelopment[edit] At the 2003 Paris Air Show MBDA signed a contract with Bayern-Chemie/Protac worth in excess of EUR250m, for development, first lot production, and integrated logistics for the Meteor PSS.[56] Also at the show, MBDA and Thales formalised their agreement of June 2002 by signing a contract for EUR46m covering development and initial production of seekers for the RAF's missiles.[57] Over the eight months following contract signature, MBDA had determined the definitive external shape of Meteor. By the summer of 2003 manufacture had commenced of a full-scale model for aircraft fit checks as well as sub-scale models for wind tunnel tests scheduled for the autumn.[58] The mid-mounted wings which had featured in the originally proposed configuration were removed. Following extensive pre-contract wind tunnel testing and MBDA's growing experience with guidance and control technologies for wingless configurations, such as ASRAAM, a wingless design was believed to offer the best solution to meeting the performance requirements. The control fins were also redesigned so that all four fins were now identical. In August 2003 Saab Bofors Dynamics received a contract worth SEK450m to develop the PFS.[59] In October 2003 the first trial fit of a geometrically representative model was carried out on Eurofighter.[60] Checks were successfully carried out on the underfuselage semi-recessed, long-stroke Missile Eject Launchers, designed and manufactured by Flight Refuelling plc, and the underwing pylon-mounted rail-launchers. In November 2003 Saab Aerosystems received an order worth 435m Swedish Kronor from the FMV for the integration of Meteor onto Gripen.[59] As prime contractor for the integration task Saab Aerosystems will be supported by Ericsson Microwave Systems, Saab Bofors Dynamics, and MBDA (UK). In December 2003 MBDA and Saab Bofors Dynamics signed an enabling contract worth 485m kronor covering programme management, system level participation, participation in the development of seeker, guidance, and autopilot algorithms, development of missile software, development of test equipment, system proving activities, and the TBUS. In April 2004 MBDA carried out fit checks on a Gripen at Saab's Linköping facility.[61] This demonstrated the mechanical interfaces between the missile, the Flight Refuelling designed and manufactured Multi-Missile Launcher (MML) and the aircraft. Wind tunnel tests had recently been completed at BAE Systems' facility at Warton, UK, and at ONERA in Modane, France. These tests successfully demonstrated the air intake operation and validated the modelled aerodynamic characteristics, confirming the configuration for the first flight trials. In August 2004 Bayern-Chemie delivered the first inert PSS, to be used for structural testing, amongst other things.[62] By the summer of 2005 two inert missiles had been delivered to Modane to recommission the facility following major modifications intended to prepare it for the free-jet trials. These were planned to begin with a 'part-firing' before the French summer holidays to be followed by two full-scale firings later in the year.