Berlin has commissioned the trans-European company MBDA a new batch of air-to-air missiles Meteor. With the new order, the specific quantity and price of which the manufacturer has not reported, Germany strengthens the arsenal of a weapon for which two years ago it began a program valued at 520 million euros.
The projectiles involved are long-range missiles (BVR(beyond visual range) Meteorcommissioned by the Integrated Joint Program Office (CONFERENCE) of the Meteorrepresenting the German Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw).
For him CEO of MBDA, Eric Berangerthe new contract from Germany, one of the missile partners, “reflects continued confidence in a program that, through a unique collaboration led by MBDA, integrates cutting-edge technologies from six European nations for the sake of a common decisive military capability.”
The year 2025 that has just ended, adds the CEO of MBDA, “has been another successful year for the Meteormarked by the continued investment of nations in their air domain and in safeguarding the sovereignty of their airspace.” In his opinion, this weapon is “a paradigmatic example of the strength of multinational collaboration in providing leading defense capabilities at a global level.”
The program Meteor It is the result of the collaboration begun in 2003 by Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The main contractor is MBDA United Kingdomand its main industrial partners are MBDA France, MBDA Italythe Swedish company Saabthe subsidiary of MBDA Germany called Bavaria chemistry and the Spanish Inmize.
From 2022 in Spain
In the case of Spain, the Air and Space Army began trading with it in early 2022 on its Eurofighterwithin an acquisition program with a spending ceiling set at just over 235 million euros.
He Meteor It is equipped with a ramjet propulsion system (known as ramjet in English), a solid-fuel, variable-flow channeled rocket produced in Germany by Bayern-Chemie. The ramjet engine is responsible for providing thrust to the missile until the target is intercepted, and provides it with a ‘no escape zone’ (NEZ) unique, superior to that of most air-to-air missiles. The NEZ is the area in which it is already considerably difficult for the missile not to hit the target, even if it performs evasive maneuvers.
Rafale, Gripen, KF-21 and F-35
MBDA highlights that there are already “numerous nations around the world” that have equipped their combat air platforms with the Meteor, including aircraft Eurofighter, Rafale, Gripen and KF-21 Boramae. It was also about its integration into the F-35which, in 2025, “experienced great advances, with its first flight in the variant F-35Band the carrying out of ground tests prior to the first flight in the F-35A.
Furthermore, in November 2025, the Brazilian Air Force confirmed the success of the Meteor test launches from its fighters F-39E Gripen E“which underlines its contribution to Brazil’s air defense capacity,” according to the official source.
MBDA is a company formed by the Franco-German-Spanish firm Airbusowner of 37.5% of the company; the british BAE Systemsalso owner of another 37.5%, and the Italian Leonardowith 25% remaining.
