Indra has unveiled a new datalink demonstrator for the Meteor air-to-air missile designed to improve range, coverage and resistance to modern countermeasures, the company said in a statement. The Meteor Missile is a long-range, active radar guided beyond-visual-range weapon used on frontline fighters.
Spanish Defence Group Advances Meteor Datalink
The Spanish defence technology firm Indra said it has showcased an upgraded datalink system for the Meteor missile, part of the ongoing Meteor Mid Life Activities programme. The update aims to improve how Meteor exchanges guidance and control data with its launch platform during flight.
Meteor is in service with Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale and Saab Gripen aircraft, and is also being tested for integration with the F-35 fighter. The missile’s existing datalink allows mid-course updates and retargeting from the host aircraft.
Indra said it supplies about 20 percent of the missile’s electronics across six subsystems and has delivered more than 2,300 units globally. The company has participated in the Meteor programme for 25 years.
Demonstrator Validated Against New Operational Needs
Indra presented the redesigned datalink to MBDA and the Meteor programme’s International Joint Project Office. The system completed a Preliminary Design Review and met updated technical requirements, allowing development and integration to proceed, Indra said.
The datalink upgrade is intended to strengthen communication between the launching aircraft and the missile during engagements and increase tolerance against electronic counter-measure environments. This plays into wider efforts across allied air forces to ensure long-range missile networks remain resilient against sophisticated jamming and deception technologies.
Meteor Missile Profile and Operational Context
The Meteor is a high-performance beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile with a throttleable ramjet engine and active radar seeker. It can exceed Mach 4 and has a typical operational range above 100 kilometres. A two-way datalink supports mid-course target updates and retargeting from the host aircraft or off-board sensors.
That data link is a key part of Meteor’s design. Even before this upgrade effort, it enabled the launch platform to feed updated target location and kinematic data to the missile after launch, extending its effective engagement window and adapting to dynamic battlespace conditions.
Meteor’s combination of sustained propulsion, active guidance and secure data link has made it a core long-range weapon for European partners and export customers. Continued upgrades reflect how militaries are planning for future threat environments where advanced electronic warfare is a key challenge.
What Comes Next
With preliminary design approval secured, Indra and MBDA are expected to begin full development and integration of the new datalink system. Future testing and qualification steps will determine timelines for fielding across Meteor operators.
The programme comes as air forces worldwide place greater emphasis on resilient networked weapons and interoperability across platforms, especially for fifth-generation fighters and advanced radar systems.
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