German Eurofighter gets Meteor air-to-air missile
Meteor missile is loaded on German Air Force Eurofighter. |
The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Eurofighter fleet is now capable of launching the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles (BVRAAM) thanks to a new software update, the service said on April 16.
The German Eurofighters have recently been updated with P2Eb software, which allows for the integration of Meteor and Storm Shadow weapons, as well as a number of other improvements as per "Phase 2 Enhancement".
The Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 74 (74th Tactical Air Force Wing) at Neuburg Air Base, Bavaria, was the first to receive the upgrade.
In addition to a new missile capability, German Eurofighters are also getting new active electronic scanning array (AESA) radars, which will be integrated by German sensor system supplier Hensoldt in cooperation with Airbus. AESA radars improve air-to-air detection capabilities and enhance air-to-ground mapping. They also have better jamming resistance and lower probability of detection.
Other new armament includes the GBU-54 precision-guided bombs, which have previously been flown by German Tornado aircraft, but never on the Eurofighters. The bombs are equipped with the conversion kit “Laser JDAM” (Joint Direct Attack Munition), which enables them to engage stationary and mobile targets through the combination of INS/GPS navigation, laser seeker and target designation. Eurofighters are expected to receive the bombs by the end of the year.
The German Eurofighters have recently been updated with P2Eb software, which allows for the integration of Meteor and Storm Shadow weapons, as well as a number of other improvements as per "Phase 2 Enhancement".
The Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 74 (74th Tactical Air Force Wing) at Neuburg Air Base, Bavaria, was the first to receive the upgrade.
In addition to a new missile capability, German Eurofighters are also getting new active electronic scanning array (AESA) radars, which will be integrated by German sensor system supplier Hensoldt in cooperation with Airbus. AESA radars improve air-to-air detection capabilities and enhance air-to-ground mapping. They also have better jamming resistance and lower probability of detection.
Other new armament includes the GBU-54 precision-guided bombs, which have previously been flown by German Tornado aircraft, but never on the Eurofighters. The bombs are equipped with the conversion kit “Laser JDAM” (Joint Direct Attack Munition), which enables them to engage stationary and mobile targets through the combination of INS/GPS navigation, laser seeker and target designation. Eurofighters are expected to receive the bombs by the end of the year.
The RAF was the first to operate Meteor-equipped Eurofighters in December 2018 when Typhoons were launched from RAF Lossiemouth for a QRA mission. It was also the first to fire the missile on an operational mission.
Image: MBDA
No comments
All comments related to the contents of our articles are welcome. It is not allowed to post promotional messages, links to external sites, or references to activities not related to this blog.