LONDON, Sept. 16 (UPI) — BAE Systems has completed guided firing trials of the Meteor beyond-visual-range, air-to-air (BVRAAM) missile by MBDA from a Eurofighter Typhoon.
The trials, part of the Typhoon’s Phase 2 Enhancements program to add new weapons, involved the fighter successfully firing the missile against air targets in pre-planned scenarios.
“This year is undoubtedly one of the most exciting years I have experienced in the development of Typhoon,” test pilot Nat Makepeace said in a press release. “We are taking to the skies with upgraded software, trialing new night vision helmet technologies, developing and expanding weapons capabilities and looking forward to flying the Captor E-scan radar — all in the space of one year.”
Integration of the Meteor further enhances the Typhoon’s swing-role capabilities by enabling the plane’s pilot to engage hostile air threats at long range while simultaneously identifying and engaging targets on the ground.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is built by a consortium formed by BAE Ststems, Alenia Aermacchi and Airbus. The twin-engine multi-role fighter has a top speed of 1,550 miles per hour.
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