The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) has successfully completed the first firings of the METEOR Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) using the Gripen E fighter aircraft. This critical test once again demonstrated the Gripen E’s long-range air-combat and deterrence capabilities on a global scale.
With the firings carried out in November, the first use of the METEOR BVRAAM from the Gripen E in Brazil has been officially recorded. In this operation, which strategically enhances Brazil’s air-defense deterrence power, two launched missiles struck their designated targets with high precision. This success clearly highlighted the missile’s exceptional accuracy against long-range threats.
BVR-X Exercise and Gripen E Capabilities
The firings were conducted during the BVR-X Technical Exercise held at the Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte. The large-scale exercise, carried out with the participation of the First Air Defense Group (1º GDA), involved four F-39E Gripen fighters. It marked the first time FAB technicians and pilots had the opportunity to prepare and employ the METEOR missile under combat-like conditions.
Air Lieutenant General Breno Diogenes Gonçalves, Commander of Natal Air Base and Director of the Technical Exercise, underscored the importance of the achievement: “BVR-X was a critical step in expanding the capabilities of the F-39E Gripen. The Gripen and METEOR combination reflects Brazil’s combat power. With its advanced sensors, mission systems, and electronic warfare capabilities—paired with a missile design that makes evasion almost impossible—this system provides a decisive advantage in air combat.”
Partnership Between Saab, MBDA, and Brazil
The success of this operation stems from the strong partnership between global defense industry leaders Saab and MBDA and the Brazilian Air Force.
Peter Dölling, General Manager of Saab Brazil, stated: “The combination of Gripen and METEOR places the country among the few nations worldwide with access to this level of air-combat innovation.”
Ricardo Mantovani, MBDA’s Vice President for Americas Export Sales, described METEOR as a “game-changer”: “This missile, already certified for use with the Gripen E in Sweden, is a game-changer that grants air superiority to its user. For MBDA, it is a source of pride that Brazil can now benefit from this capability.”
Unique Features of the METEOR Missile
Thanks to its ramjet engine, METEOR is the only BVRAAM system that provides the largest “No Escape Zone” among medium-range air-to-air missiles. The missile maintains continuous thrust until it destroys the threat, reaching the target with maximum energy.
Its superior kinematics and fragmentation warhead ensure maximum effectiveness against a wide variety of targets in all weather conditions, day or night, and even in intense electronic warfare environments.
During the exercise, highly maneuverable Mirach 100/5 unmanned aerial vehicles—used to simulate the speed and altitude profiles of modern fighter aircraft—served as targets.
The BVR-X Technical Exercise clearly demonstrated the superior performance of the Gripen E and METEOR combination and the significant strategic leap in the Brazilian Air Force’s air-defense capabilities.
Source: C4Defence / Saab
