The Gripen will be the first aircraft to test the Meteor beyond
visual
range (BVR) missile. In an addition to the Meteor order, whereby
Saab Bofors Dynamics was awarded the development and production
order by MBDA in August 2003, Saab Aerosystems is now being
commissioned to integrate Meteor on the Gripen in a contract worth
MSEK 435 (US 35 Million dollars).
"The Meteor program is an extensive development project that will
continue until 2010. It is a large-scale project that could grow
and it's important for Saab and Sweden to be involved," says Johan
Lehander, Vice President and Deputy General Manager, Saab
Aerosystems.
Meteor is a beyond visual range missile approximately 3.5 meters in
length, for use against air targets. In the future it will replace
the American AMRAAM system. The development of the Meteor
air-to-air missile is being carried out as an international
industrial project involving the UK, Germany, Sweden, France, Italy
and Spain.
Saab Aerosystems submitted a tender to the Swedish Defence Materiel
Administration (FMV) in June 2002 concerning the integration of
Meteor into the Gripen for testing purposes. FMV has signed an
international commitment whereby it will provide the Gripen as a
test platform, to support the development of the missile and
prepare for integration on the Gripen.
At a later stage Meteor will also be integrated in Rafale and
Eurofighter aircraft. The Gripen is first fourth generation
aircraft
operational in service and the only fighter aircraft currently
available for testing the high-tech beyond visual range missiles of
the future. The first Meteor is planned to be fired in 2005, from
the Gripen.
Saab is one of the world's leading high-technology companies, with
its main operations focusing on defence, aviation and space. The
Group covers a broad spectrum of competence and capability in
systems integration.
http://www.gripen.com/pr_031120_meteor.asp