Stewart Penney/LONDON
The UK's beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) competition is turning into a dogfight between the ramjet-powered Matra BAe Dynamics Meteor and Raytheon's dual-pulse rocket motor-equipped Extended Range Air-to-Air Missile (ERAAM), say team sources.
The BVRAAM is intended primarily to give Eurofighters air superiority over Sukhoi Su-27 developments armed with a ramjet-powered variant of the AA-12 Adder - the Vympel RVV-AE-PD. While elements of the latter missile have been ground tested, the Russian air force has no requirement for such a weapon and the manufacturer has no funding.
The UK Ministry of Defence extended its BVRAAM specification to include an intermediate weapon, for which Raytheon offered the ERAAM. Matra BAe is submitting only the ramjet Meteor. The Anglo-French company believes a ramjet-powered missile threat will emerge, as export sales of the AA-12 to China, India and Malaysia will provide Vympel with development funds.
UK defence secretary George Robertson is less sure, saying of the RVV-AE-PD: "We continue to assess the capabilities of this weapon, the development of its associated ramjet propulsion system and the scope for its deployment."
Raytheon's bid is based on a phased introduction of capabilities - an upgraded AMRAAM, the AIM-120B+, to be followed by the ERAAM, then its ramjet powered Future Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile. All would have the same forward section - including the high cost items such as seeker, inertial measurement unit and lethality section - while new rear ends would be introduced progressively with propulsion improvements.
The ERAAM offers other advantages, including its likely acceptance by the US Air Force for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor and the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition. Ramjet-powered missiles have larger carriage volumes than the AMRAAM and the ERAAM, a consideration because of the internal weapons bays of these aircraft, and a problem the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy will have to face if they select the JSF to replace British Aerospace Harriers and Sea Harriers. BAe sources suggest that neither the JSF nor the BVRAAM is close enough to design freeze to block changes, allowing the JSF to carry a ramjet-powered weapon.
In a second development, France has joined the Meteor programme, following an intergovermental meeting in late July. France could provide the programme with about £100 million ($155 million) in funding. The news will be a fillip following funding problems in Sweden, a Meteor partner with Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
ABVRAAM recommendation is expected to be put in front of ministers in October.
Source: Flight International
