Story and image from Saab
In November, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) achieved a major milestone by completing the first firings of the METEOR BVRAAM from Gripen E, strengthening Brazil’s air-defence deterrent power. Two missiles precisely hit their designated targets, while demonstrating the weapon’s accuracy against long-range threats.
The launches took place during the BVR-X Technical Exercise, at Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte. With the participation of the First Air Defence Group (1º GDA), the Technical Exercise brought together four Gripen E fighters in a large-scale operation that, for the first time, allowed FAB technicians and pilots to handle and employ the METEOR in combat-like conditions.
METEOR’s ramjet motor provides thrust all the way to its threat interception, creating the most extensive No Escape Zone of any medium range air-to-air missile. Its endgame kinematics and blast fragmentation warhead ensure maximum effectiveness. METEOR can engage a wide variety of targets, day or night, in any weather conditions, and in intense electronic warfare environments too.
Preparations for BVR-X Technical Exercise took place with support from Saab, MBDA and several FAB units, including the Operational Applications Institute, which received key knowledge transfer on missile employment. Patrol aircraft also helped secure the maritime area to ensure safe launch conditions. The targets were two manoeuvrable Mirach 100/5 drones specifically designed for this exercise. They replicated the speed and altitude profile of modern fighter aircraft, creating a demanding environment to demonstrate the missile’s precision, adding realism to the evaluation.
The outcome of the exercise highlighted the highly effective performance of Gripen E paired with the METEOR missile, underscoring its importance within the Brazilian Air Force’s air-defence capability.