MBDA to integrate Meteor BVRAAM on RoKAF KF-X

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has awarded MBDA a contract, of undisclosed value, to integrate the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) on the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF) future Korean Fighter eXperimental (KF-X) fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

Awarded during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2019 in mid-October, but announced by MBDA on 22 November, the contract provides for “the transfer of know-how and the manufacture of all the necessary test equipment to complete the integration, including integration support and instrumented missiles for the trials campaign,” an MBDA spokesperson told Jane’s . The spokesperson confirmed that the integration contract now paves the way for a future Meteor procurement contract for the KF-X from the RoKAF.

Computer-generated image of the developmental KAI KF-X fighter aircraft showing four MBDA Meteor BVRAAM effectors mounted externally on the central fuselage of the platform. (Korea Aerospace Industries)