Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons launched from RAF Lossiemouth for the first time with the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile(BVRAAM) during a Quick Reaction Alert exercise for airspace defence.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 10 December that The MBDA Meteor is now operational aboard RAF Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft. According to the MoD, for the first time Meteor-armed Typhoons were scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland (QRA North) to intercept an unidentified aircraft that was approaching the UK area of interest. The Typhoons returned to base before the intercept was made.
The Meteor programme partners include France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. With the missile already integrated aboard the Saab Gripen C/D and Dassault Rafale, the RAF has become the first of the Eurofighter nations to employ it.
In July the RAF received back into service the first of its Typhoons to be provisioned for the Project Centurion weapons fit that includes the Meteor missile. The Project Centurion configuration is intended to combine the Typhoon's already-delivered Raytheon Paveway IV precision-guided bomb capability with the Meteor, Storm Shadow cruise missile, and Brimstone low-yield missile in time for the retirement from RAF service of the Panavia Tornado GR4 in early 2019. In all, 107 Tranche 2 and 3 Typhoons will be equipped to the Project Centurion standard, while the 24 Tranche 1 Typhoons that are to be retained will not.
