The lethality of the beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Meteor missile, which is compatible with Rafale fighter jets among others, just got a major upgrade as Spanish subsystem provider Indra recently revealed that it rolled out enhanced datalink technology for the missile.
India is reported to have Meteor missiles on its fleet of 36 Rafale fighter jets acquired from France in 2016.
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The company said that it unveiled a demonstrator of a new datalink that increases the range, coverage, and resistance to countermeasures of the Meteor missiles.
Hailed as the world's most advanced air-to-air missile, Meteor is operated by fighter aircraft such as the Eurofighter, Rafale, and Gripen, and is already being tested with the fifth-generation F-35.
Indra has been working on the development and evolution of the missile for 25 years, contributing some of its most important systems. The company designs and manufactures six of its subsystems, accounting for 20 per cent of the missile's electronics.
"Indra is currently participating in the missile's Mid-Life Activities aimed at further enhancing its performance. The latest advancement introduced by Indra is related to the development of a particularly critical element: the datalink between the missile and the launch platform, which is responsible for the guidance and control of the weapon," a statement from Indra said.
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The company said it has presented the datalink redesign to the missile manufacturer MBDA, and to the Meteor program's International Joint Project Office (IJPO), technically validating compliance with the new requirements in order to respond effectively to the evolution of threats and new operational realities.
As a result, the company has obtained approval at the Preliminary Design Review (PDR), enabling it to begin development and integration of the new datalink into the system.
This development is significant as the defence ministry on Thursday cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France.
