Superiority Complex

The world’s air forces deploy a variety of Air-to-Air Missiles (AAM). This article profiles some of the leading European, Israeli and North American efforts for prosecuting within visual range and beyond visual range engagements.

- Giulia Tilenni

European nations have been keen to achieve strategic independence in defence technology from the United States since the advent of the Cold War in the late 1940s. Hence, several nations in Western Europe have been developing indigenous platforms such as the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter families; all notable examples of this European struggle for independence. True strategic independence in this sector makes sense only if these fighters can employ European produced AAMs. Diehl BGT Defence’s IRIS-T Infrared (IR) and MBDA’s Meteor Active Radar Homing (ARH) guided AAMs represent the first two examples of broad European defence cooperation in the airto-air missile domain. Both weapons were developed within European consortia involving several states and companies, for example, over 200 companies have been involved in the Meteor programme.

IRIS-T