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2023-12-10

MBDA and KAI to Explore New Opportunities

MBDA and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) recently signed an agreement to deepen their cooperation. The agreement will see the companies explore new opportunities to integrate new MBDA weapons onto KAI platforms and export both together via a joint approach.

The agreement was signed last month by Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, and Kang Goo-young, CEO of KAI, in London during a Korean State visit to the UK.

Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “The combination of MBDA’s world-leading weapon products and technologies with KAI’s proven record of new aircraft development and rapid delivery is an exciting prospect for the world defence market, reflecting the shared values and interests of both parties.”

Goo-young added: “Recently, there has been growing global demand for various armaments. We will work with MBDA to propose enhanced domestic fighter aircraft to our customers.”

MBDA is committed to working with KAI to complete the integration of MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile on the KAI-led KF-21 Boromae fighter aircraft.

Examples of new areas of cooperation being explored under the new agreement include the integration of new MBDA weapons such as SPEAR, ASRAAM, and Brimstone onto KAI platforms such as KF-21 and FA-50, as well as exporting the platforms and missiles.

Meteor: Meeting Stringent Requirements

Meteor is the next generation of Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) system designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat in the 21st Century. The weapon brings together six nations with a common need to defeat today’s threats and the future emerging ones.

Guided by an advanced active radar seeker, Meteor provides all-weather capability to engage various targets, from agile fast jets to small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and cruise missiles. It is designed to meet the most stringent requirements and can operate in the most severe clutter and countermeasure environments.

The weapon is also equipped with data link communication. Aimed at meeting the needs of a network-centric environment, Meteor can be operated using third-party data, enabling the Meteor user, the pilot, to have a flexible weapon system.

Meteor’s performance is achieved through its unique ramjet propulsion system – solid fuel, variable flow, ducted rocket. This ramjet motor provides the missile with thrust all the way to the target intercept, providing the largest No-Escape Zone of any air-to-air missile. To ensure total target destruction, the missile is equipped with both impact and proximity fuses and a fragmentation warhead that detonates on impact or at the optimum point of intercept to maximise lethality.

Meteor has been developed by a group of European partners led by MBDA to meet the needs of six European nations: the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden. The weapon system will equip Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale and Gripen. It is also compatible with other advanced fighter aircraft and will be integrated into the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

MBDA’s air-to-air and air-to-surface missile systems equip the latest generation of aircraft in service with many of the world’s air forces. The MBDA product range includes man-portable and air-launched anti-armour weapon systems to support the modern soldier whether they are called to operate in open terrain or, more often nowadays, in an urban terrain. To aid the movement of both soldiers and civilians in a conflict zone, MBDA also provides highly advanced mine detection and clearance systems.

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