Meteor integration advances on F-35A after ground tests

Ground tests at Edwards Air Force Base have moved the Meteor air-to-air missile and the F-35A a step closer to flight testing.

Lockheed Martin, MBDA and the F-35 Joint Program Office completed ground vibration testing and weapons-bay fit checks aimed at validating how the missile and aircraft interact during stowage and release. According to the companies, engineers assessed structural responses and clearances to confirm that Meteor can be carried safely inside the F-35A’s internal bay, which is essential for maintaining the aircraft’s low-observable profile.

Images released by the programme show Meteor installed inside the bay while technicians measured its behaviour at varying vibration frequencies and checked its position relative to aircraft structures, systems and neighbouring stores.

One final ground trial remains before flight tests can begin. The work follows the Royal Air Force’s earlier announcement that Meteor has already flown on the UK’s F-35B as part of a separate integration effort led by Britain, while Italy is sponsoring the F-35A campaign. The companies say pairing the jet’s sensor suite with Meteor’s performance is expected to provide the capability advantage sought by both operators once integration is complete.

Earlier this year, we reported that a US Marine Corps F-35B completed the first flights carrying an inert Meteor missile, part of the effort to integrate UK weapons onto the aircraft. These sorties took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River through coordinated work among UK and US government teams, the Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support, MBDA, and Lockheed Martin. The inert round gathered environmental data to support the broader integration effort. Meteor is already central to the UK’s air combat loadout on Typhoon.

The UK is leading integration on the F-35B while Italy sponsors work on the F-35A, which will allow both variants to field the weapon. Air Commodore Al Roberts, who oversees air-to-air missiles for the RAF, previously stated that this progress reflects the strength of the multinational cooperation behind the programme and that bringing Meteor to F-35 will raise the combat capability of the UK and other users in the growing F-35 community.