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UK and France launch 12-month joint study for Meteor beyond-visual-range missile successor

The UK and France have signed a memorandum of understanding to begin a 12-month joint study into a successor to MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The study will assess future threat environments and define requirements for a next-generation BVR weapon for Typhoon and Rafale fleets.

Discovered 2026-04-01T03:58:35.960787-07:00 | 2026-04-01T03:58:35.960787-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • The study formalises bilateral industrial cooperation on a high-end air-to-air weapon and builds on recent MBDA-led proposals for sovereign, interoperable European defence capabilities (see source:31229b13-3e5c-4cab-b302-bd5a2b292879).
  • Outcomes will shape armament choices for Eurofighter and Rafale fleets and influence procurement and export plans; Frances industrial positioning and FCAS cooperation tensions provide immediate context (see source:92707f02-13ed-4557-a129-75af2c2c206b and source:5fea731d-2a9d-4909-85cb-df6ef4507dce).
  • The studys requirements and timeline will feed broader debates on pan-European defence collaboration and capability planning (see source:97379b6c-d7c9-4f42-affd-8804caa9f39).

Reported By

defensehere.com AeroTime FlightGlobal Aviation Week defence-industry.eu UK Defence Journal
Sources Tracked
7
First Seen
2026-04-01T03:58:35.960787-07:00
Latest Update
2026-04-03T03:38:30.898369-07:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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