Stealth air combat goes one step further! F-35B's built-in bomb bay releases "Meteor" long-range missile for the first time

The F-35B stealth fighter conducted a non-powered separation test of the Meteor missile. After the missile was released from the bomb bay inside the belly of the aircraft, it separated from the fighter. This is the first time that the Meteor missile has been released from the F-35B's internal bomb bay. The focus of the test is to confirm whether the missile can safely leave the fuselage. (Photo: MBDA UK)

[Compiled by Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] The U.S. F-35B stealth fighter jet released the European "Meteor" long-range air-to-air missile from the internal bomb bay of the aircraft belly for the first time, completing a non-powered separation test. This test confirms whether the missile can safely detach from the fighter aircraft, and subsequent tests under different flight conditions will be conducted to pave the way for the British and Italian F-35Bs to integrate this long-range missile.

European defense media "Defence Industry Europe" reported that the test was conducted on October 7 at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS Patuxent River) in Maryland, USA, and was flown by a British Royal Navy test pilot. The F-35 Joint Project Office (JPO) released test images on November 5. At that time, the missile engine was not ignited and the control surface was not actuated. The main purpose was to test whether the missile could safely escape under the complex airflow around the fighter jet. Engineers will use the acquired flight data to revise a digital model that predicts the missile's separation trajectory.

Meteor missiles continue to gain thrust during flight

The integration plan, supported by the British, US and Italian defense ministries, aims to add a weapon option to the British and Italian F-35Bs that can attack manned and autonomous aircraft beyond visual range.

The Meteor missile uses a ramjet propulsion system, which is different from a design that mainly relies on initial propulsion during flight and then gradually loses power. It can continue to provide thrust during flight. This feature is an important performance feature of the Meteor missile and also makes it a long-range air-to-air weapon integrated into the British and Italian F-35B plans.

The European Missile Group (MBDA) stated that it will continue to conduct separation tests under different flight conditions in the next few months to confirm that the missile can safely separate from the fighter aircraft within the complete flight envelope. Subsequent tests will eventually enter live-fire firing to evaluate the flight performance of the missile after it leaves the bomb bay.