Two Meteor live-fire assessments have been performed as a part of the BVR-X Technical Train within the Natal area.
The Brazilian Air Power (Força Aérea Brasileira – FAB) introduced a significant milestone on Nov. 29, 2025, conducting its first Meteor BVRAAM (Past Visible Vary Air-to-Air Missile) dwell fireplace from an F-39E (Brazilian designation for the Saab JAS39 Gripen E).
The “BVR-X Technical Train (EXTEC) check marketing campaign, believed to have taken place earlier this month within the Natal area, concerned 4 Gripen Es which performed two live-firings in opposition to Leonardo’s maneuverable Mirach 100/5 aerial targets, in.” The Gripen E is essentially the most superior variant of Gripen.
The Air Power and Navy employed AEW&C property, aggressors, and patrol plane, and, along with different authorities analysis companies offering testing help, recreated real-world circumstances to “observe all of the operational procedures as in aerial fight.” This implies that the primary dwell check of the Meteor from a Gripen E concerned a regular tactical BVR fight state of affairs.
pic.twitter.com/A9bLRu5Ehx
— Força Aérea Brasileira 🇧🇷 (@fab_oficial) November 29, 2025
The check additionally comes after the FAB just lately cleared its Gripen E to be refueled by the Embraer KC-390 Millenium in a large testing marketing campaign between October and November, the outcomes of which too will profit each present and future customers of the Gripen E and C-390 like like Sweden, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary.
The check
The check was executed and overseen by the First Air Protection Group (1st GDA Jaguar) and Anapolis Logistics Group (GLOG-AN). Photos confirmed one of many Gripens carrying the Meteor BVRAAM on its port-side wing’s internal hardpoint.
The pictures launched additionally confirmed the preparations on the bottom, the launch as seen each from contained in the cockpit and the chase plane, and the discharge of the drones. The influence, nevertheless, was not proven. The jets took off from Natal Air Base.
Together with the 4 Gripens, a complete of ten plane supported the check. These included the AMX A-1M from the First Squadron of the Tenth Aviation Group (1st/tenth GAV) – Poker Squadron appearing because the aggressor; an E-99 AEW&C plane from the Second Squadron of the Sixth Aviation Group (2º/6º GAV) “Guardian Squadron”; A-29 Tremendous Tucano plane of the 2º/5º GAV “Joker Squadron”; a P-3AM maritime patrol plane from the First Squadron of the first/seventh GAV “Orungan Squadron”; the P-95BM plane from the third/seventh GAV “Neptune Squadron”; and an H-36 Caracal helicopter for search and rescue from the first/eighth GAV “Falcon Squadron”.
The Mirach 100/5 targets have been launched and their telemetries monitored from the Barreira do Inferno Launch Middle (CLBI), for very important “correct information assortment.” The drones simulated “high-speed, high-altitude fighter flight profiles, guaranteeing a difficult state of affairs to guage the missile’s accuracy.”
A number of different protection and civilian companies supported the check. Main Aviator Gregor Gaspar of the first GDA stated that “a number of coaching workouts with the Meteor” have been flown with technical assist from Saab and MBDA, suggesting captive carry trials may additionally have been performed.
The FAB’s X publish stated: “In a difficult state of affairs with complicated firing profiles, essentially the most superior plane and weaponry within the FAB’s arsenal considerably expanded the nation’s deterrent energy and defensive capabilities. In November, the F-39E efficiently fired the Meteor missile in opposition to high-performance, maneuverable aerial targets. This check consolidates Brazil’s place among the many choose group of countries with next-generation BVR (Past Visible Vary) functionality.”
Protection diplomatic influence
The check will considerably elevate the Gripen’s profile amongst Gen. 4.5 plane, particularly within the single engine light-weight plane class, following its first fight use in opposition to Cambodian targets by the Royal Thai Air Power. It additionally supplies developer nation Sweden, which itself obtained its first Gripen E on Oct. 20, 2025, with very important information on each the Gripen and Meteor.
The Flygvapnet Gripens, whereas intercepting Russian plane in NATO’s Air Policing missions over the Baltics, normally carry IRIS-T short-range AAMs.
The Gripen E’s future customers, Colombia and Thailand, may also profit from the mixing and live-fire testing marketing campaign. They’ll purchase 15 and 12 Gripen E/Fs respectively, with Thailand already being an present person of 12 older Gripen C/D plane.
Whereas the weapons package deal in Bangkok’s Gripen’s buy included the Meteor, there are hints that Colombia too will purchase the missile because the Meteor was among the many a number of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance displayed at a full-sized mock-up of the fighter in the course of the PISTA23 exhibition.
Brazil’s 2014 $4.5 billion Gripen deal for 36 plane included 28 F-39Es and eight F-39F twin-seater jets. Fifteen of the jets are to be manufactured inside Brazil, at Embraer’s and Saab’s services.
The FAB obtained aboard a ship the tenth airframe on Jun. 12, 2025, which is ready to affix the First Air Protection Group (1º GDA) “Jaguar Squadron” at Anápolis Air Base, as per Brazilian reviews.
Meteor BVRAAM
Developed by MBDA for the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden, the Meteor has presently been built-in on the Storm, Gripen and Rafale and is being built-in on the F-35 and the KF-21. In actual fact, the South Korean fighter is scheduled to be geared up with two European air-to-air missiles, Meteor and IRIS-T.
The Italian Air Power (Aeronautica Militare) early in Could introduced the conclusion of the second part of the Operational Take a look at and Analysis (OT&E) marketing campaign of its F-2000A (Italian MoD designation for the Eurofighter Storm) with the Meteor. Italy can be sponsoring the Meteor’s integration with the F-35A.
The UK is presently main the mixing marketing campaign for the F-35B on the F-35 Patuxent River Built-in Take a look at Power (Pax ITF), with the primary flight of the Lightning II geared up with Meteor going down in February 2025.
Meteoric success! Nothing dominates the skies just like the #Meteor missile.
Recognising this, the Republic of Korea partnered with us to combine Meteor on the brand new KAI KF-21 fighter plane.
🔗 Be taught extra: pic.twitter.com/JjWjYPuKkk
— MBDA (@MBDAGroup) December 9, 2024
The Meteor has a variety reported between 120 and 200 km, and is powered by an airbreathing Strong Gasoline Ramjet. In contrast to a regular rocket motor, just like the one utilized by the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the ramjet is throttleable, permitting it to control its thrust output throughout cruise, chase and terminal modes, exploiting the aerodynamics of every flight stage.
This enables the weapon to acquire the best doable vitality state in the course of the terminal part, preserve vitality and keep away from overshooting when chasing a tough maneuvering goal. This manner, Meteor has a bigger No-Escape Zone, and will increase its kill likelihood.
A two-way datalink permits mid-course updates and goal retasking from the launching plane, in addition to mid-course updates by different pleasant property, MBDA’s Regional Gross sales Government for Brazil Ricardo Mantovani stated within the press launch. The missile is supplied with each influence and proximity fuses and a fragmentation warhead to maximise the lethality.
