A Typhoon from 1(F) Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth has fired a Meteor missile on an exercise in France with French Air Force Rafales.
The Typhoons deployed to Cazaux air base in western France near Bordeaux and flew with French Rafales in the Bay of Biscay where they successfully engaged a Banshee 80 aerial target.
The Banshee 80 aerial target is a 3-metre-long jet powered flying target, which the RAF Typhoon was required to locate, track, and target. The target has twin jet engines, which enable it to fly at speeds of up to 180 metres per second, making it a realistic and challenging target.
The Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile (BVRAAM) state-of-the-art complex weapon is manufactured by MBDA in the UK in collaboration with five other partner nations: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
The missile is powered by a ramjet motor, which propels it until it hits its target. This gives it a long range and very large “no escape zone”. It is guided by an active radar seeker, giving it the ability to engage a wide variety of air targets in all weather conditions. It is network-enabled, meaning pilots can operate the missile using third-party target data, allowing flexibility in tactics.
As well as Typhoons, the Meteor missiles can be carried on Gripen and Rafale aircraft and is being integrated onto F-35 Lightning II and Korea Airspace Industries KF-21. Meteor is the RAF’s long-range missile of choice and is carried by Typhoon on operations, which include QRA.
RAF Typhoon pilots practice firing the missile to retain and refine their skills so that they can use in on operations if required.
“The Meteor missile is a formidable weapon and the recent exercise provided a great opportunity to test its capabilities alongside our French counterparts. Many traditional barriers were overcome to succeed in the exercise, which highlighted the trust and flexibility in the relationship between our two nations.”
RAF pilot on the exercise
A small team from 1(F) Squadron deployed to France to support the Typhoons there.
The exercise was also supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton which provided air-to-air refuelling to extend the duration and the range of the Typhoon’s sortie.
