A US Marine Corps F-35B has conducted the first test flights with an MBDA Meteor missile
March 7, 2025
Trials with the MBDA Meteor missile saw a specially-tuned and instrumented example of the beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) loaded in the F-35B’s weapons bay for the first time. Several flights were conducted to gather environmental data, assessing how the weapon responded to environment in the F-35B’s weapons bay, and included the launch of an inert missile.
Royal Navy Lt Cdr Nicholas Baker flew the first sortie with a Meteor missile on F-35B on 20 November 2024, but the flight was not announced until March 2025.
Interestingly, photos of the trials, released by the British MoD, showed a Meteor being carried on the primary station within the weapons bay, with an AIM-120D3 AMRAAM on the door station. The photos showed that the Meteor itself was a modified variant, with cropped fins to facilitate internal carriage.
The trials were made possible by a collaboration between the UK and US governments, with input from the Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment & Support, and respective industrial partners MBDA and Lockheed Martin.
Air Commodore Al Roberts, the RAF’s Head of Air-to-Air Missiles, noted that: “This milestone is a testament to the effective collaboration between the multinational governmental and industrial partnerships that we have in place. Inclusion of Meteor onto the Lightning II will bring this formidable air combat capability to the UK and to the burgeoning F-35 community, significantly enhancing security among allies.”
The Meteor trials formed part of the wider campaign to integrate UK weapons onto the F-35B. These weapons integrations formed part of the F-35’s Block 4 upgrade (and may do still), though since Block 4 has been ‘reimagined’, the status and timescale of UK weapons integrations has been unclear. Some have even suggested that the Block 4 effort has been superseded by a series of smaller incremental updates, which will follow an as yet unreleased timescale.
Meteor integration activities began in earnest in April 2017 when the UK awarded MBDA a £41 million contract, though integration was to be undertaken by Lockheed Martin, and delays were the result of uniquely American issues and problems!
The Meteor trials were led by Royal Navy engineer Lieutenant Commander Lewis Roach, and flown by Royal Navy pilot Lieutenant Commander Nick Baker, both of whom are attached to the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Lt Cdr Roach said: “The first flight of a UK weapon on an F-35 aircraft marks a significant milestone, demonstrating the successful integration of British defence technology onto a cutting-edge fighter. This achievement is the result of extensive collaboration between multiple organisations, including government agencies, industry partners, and the armed forces, all working together to enhance the aircraft’s operational capability. In particular, this is a major step forward for the Meteor missile, showcasing its progress toward full integration and future deployment. This milestone not only strengthens the UK’s sovereign defence capabilities but also reinforces its role as a key player in advanced air combat technology.”
The aircraft (BF-18) was drawn from VX-23, and not from the RAF’s own F-35 Test and Evaluation Squadron, No.17 Squadron, based at Edwards AFB. The unit is understood to be in the process of returning its initial, early block F-35Bs (ZM135/BK-1, ZM136/BK-2 and ZM138/BK-4) to operational configuration, removing their test instrumentation, and one aircraft with the TR-3 upgrade incorporated (ZM165/BK-31) has already been delivered to Edwards.
VX-23 forms part of the Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF), which in turn reports to the United Operational Test Team (UOTT). The UOTT is part of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center as well as the Navy’s Commander Operational Test & Evaluation Force, and is responsible for Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation of the F-35. The United Operational Test Team (previously the US Operational Test Team) is a joint organization, with geographically separated elements at Nellis AFB, Nevada; Edwards AFB, California; Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona; Naval Air Station Patuxent River and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The US Operational Test Team was expanded to include Australian and UK personnel in December 2023 for the test, development and evaluation phase of the F-35’s Block IV capability, which up to then had been a US-only activity. This ensures that UK personnel can oversee Meteor (and SPEAR 3 integration activities).
The MBDA Meteor is the UK’s primary air-to-air missile and is carried on operations by Typhoon. While the UK is leading the integration campaign for the F-35B, Italy is sponsoring the integration of the Meteor onto the F-35A model. Integration of Meteor onto the F-35B will significantly improve the aircraft’s ability to engage airborne threats at extended ranges, reinforcing the air defence capabilities of British and Italian F-35s in NATO and coalition operations.
