Brazil has successfully fired the Meteor beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile from its Gripen E fighter aircraft for the first time, marking a major leap in the country’s regional air defense deterrence.
Four Gripen E fighters took part in November’s BVR-X Technical Exercise at Natal Air Base in Rio Grande do Norte, with at least two Meteor missiles fired and hitting their targets, Saab reported in December.
Two maneuverable Mirach 100/5 drones were designated as the targets for the exercise, featuring the speed and altitude profile of modern fighter aircraft.
The test was conducted in collaboration with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), Gripen E manufacturer Saab, and Meteor missile maker MBDA.
It puts Brasília “among the few nations worldwide with access to this level of air combat innovation,” said Peter Dölling, Saab Brasil Managing Director.
Meanwhile, Air Major General Breno Diogenes Gonçalves, Commander of Natal Air Base and Director of the Technical Exercise, described the test as “a crucial step in expanding the capabilities of the F-39E Gripen.”
“The Gripen and Meteor combination projects Brazil’s combat power and strengthens the deterrence required by our Air Force and, above all, by the country,” he added.
A Step Toward Regional Air Dominance
Saab’s Gripen E, designated the F‑39E/F in Brazil, is the FAB’s most modern fighter, with the first accepted into service in 2022.
It is equipped with an AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar and armed with various munitions, including the IRIS‑T short-range and Meteor long-range missiles.
Brazil ordered 36 jets in 2013, and in 2023 inaugurated the first Gripen E production line outside Sweden at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto facility.
The Meteor missile is “the result of the joint effort of six European nations, led by MBDA, to create the most sophisticated air-to-air weapon system in operation today,” said Ricardo Mantovani, MBDA VP Export Sales Americas.
It is fitted with an active radar seeker and ramjet propulsion that maintains high energy throughout the flight towards the target, reportedly creating the most extensive no-escape zone compared to similar systems.
Carrying a blast‑fragmentation warhead, Meteor can engage a wide range of targets — from fast jets to drones — day or night, in any weather condition, or intense electronic warfare environments.
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