Image: from Lockheed Martin UK X@LMUKNews
By José Carlos Palma with Agencies
F-35A fighters moved another step toward fielding the European Meteor missile after completing a series of major ground integration tests in the United States. The progress marks a significant milestone for the long-planned effort to pair one of the world’s most advanced air-to-air weapons with the world’s most widely deployed fifth-generation jet.
At Edwards Air Force Base in California, engineers carried out ground vibration tests and fit checks that confirmed how the ramjet-powered missile interacts with the aircraft’s internal weapons bay. The evaluation verified safe stowage and proper deployment, a critical requirement because the F-35A must carry Meteor internally to preserve its stealth characteristics. Only one additional ground test remains before flight trials can begin.
MBDA, the European manufacturer of Meteor, stressed that integrating the missile onto the F-35 allows crews to harness both the jet’s sensors and the missile’s network-enabled design, delivering a more flexible and capable air combat solution.
Italy is sponsoring integration of Meteor on the F-35A, while the United Kingdom is leading work on the F-35B variant. Earlier this year, a US Marine Corps F-35B launched the first Meteor flight tests from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, advancing the UK’s parallel program.
Despite this progress, the overall schedule has slipped. The UK Defence Ministry now expects Meteor to reach operational status in the early 2030s, several years later than the original 2027 target. Officials have not disclosed specific causes, although two oversight reports point to supplier performance issues, global software upgrade delays, and insufficient prioritization of the missile within the broader F-35 program.
The delay compounds another capability gap for the UK’s fleet, which currently lacks a long-range standoff weapon for striking ground targets. Spear 3, another MBDA project, is intended to fill that role; yet, it too has been pushed into the early 2030s due to similar challenges.
The United Kingdom has committed to eventually procuring 138 F-35s and currently has 48 on contract. As integration work accelerates in both Europe and the United States, the Meteor program continues advancing toward airborne testing, a prerequisite for finally delivering the weapon’s full potential to F-35 operators across the continent.