Missile Showdown: Israel Seeks to Block Egypt’s Meteor-Armed Fighter Jet Deal
Although Cairo's pursuit of the Eurofighter Typhoon seems unlikely to face considerable political resistance—particularly after Germany recently greenlit similar sales to Saudi Arabia—it remains improbable that Egypt will secure a comprehensive weapons package with this deal especially the much-prized Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Egypt and Italy have engaged in intensive discussions over recent years, negotiating the potential acquisition by Cairo of advanced defence platforms, including up to 24 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole combat aircraft, with an estimated contract value of around US$3 billion (RM13.2 billion).
The Eurofighter Typhoon, an advanced fourth-generation-plus fighter jet, is the product of an international consortium comprising leading aerospace and defence manufacturers from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain, renowned for its superior air dominance and multirole combat capabilities.
Concurrently, Egypt appears poised to achieve a significant breakthrough with Washington, obtaining approval for the long-sought-after Boeing F-15 fighter jets, a combat-proven platform prized for its air superiority and strike versatility.
Should Egypt finalize the acquisitions of both the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-15, these aircraft would significantly bolster the Egyptian Air Force’s capabilities, augmenting its existing formidable fleet, which already includes 54 advanced Rafale multirole fighters from France’s Dassault Aviation, alongside various other combat aircraft.
Although Cairo’s pursuit of the Eurofighter Typhoon seems unlikely to face considerable political resistance—particularly after Germany recently greenlit similar sales to Saudi Arabia—it remains improbable that Egypt will secure a comprehensive weapons package with this deal especially the much-prized Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM).
As experienced previously with its Rafale acquisitions from France, Egypt is likely to face restrictions on acquiring strategically critical armaments such as the Meteor Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, due to persistent concerns over preserving Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME).
Israel, while not directly opposing Egypt’s acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoons, has clearly indicated its intent to strongly resist any efforts to equip the Egyptian Air Force with the Meteor BVR missile, widely acknowledged as one of the most capable air-to-air missiles globally, due to fears it could erode Tel Aviv’s air combat superiority.
This scenario mirrors the earlier Rafale deal with France, in which Israel vehemently opposed Egypt’s request for Meteor missiles, developed by the renowned European missile manufacturer MBDA, ultimately preventing their integration onto Egypt’s Rafale fleet.
To date, Egypt’s Rafale fighters remain without Meteor BVR missiles, reflecting Israel’s strategic priority to maintain its regional aerial dominance, underscoring Cairo’s ongoing diplomatic struggle against a powerful Israeli defence lobby.
Egypt continues to pressure France diplomatically to permit the integration of the Meteor missile system into both its current Rafale fighters and prospective Eurofighter acquisitions; however, these efforts have consistently stalled, highlighting the enduring effectiveness of Israeli influence in defence matters.
Israel’s primary strategic concern centres around potential vulnerability of its frontline combat aircraft—F-16s, F-15s, and especially its advanced stealth-capable F-35s—should they face Egyptian fighters equipped with the Meteor missile in any hypothetical conflict scenario.
In 2022, General Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), officially indicated Washington’s intention to supply Egypt with advanced F-15 fighter jets, marking a significant potential shift in U.S. military aid dynamics in the Middle East.
Reports from the same year suggested Israeli support for the proposed F-15 sale, yet geopolitical developments, notably intensified by the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, have considerably altered the strategic calculus, leading to uncertainty around the finalization of this deal.
Given the current heightened tensions due to the Gaza conflict, Tel Aviv’s longstanding concerns about maintaining its qualitative military edge might ultimately derail Egypt’s anticipated acquisition of F-15 fighters from the U.S.
Despite clear signals from Washington about ending Egypt’s 40-year wait for F-15 fighters, defence analysts predict a repetition of historical restrictions, notably the denial of critical air-to-air armaments such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile system.
The U.S. reluctance to provide Egypt with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, similarly justified by Israeli security concerns, highlights an ongoing strategic effort to sustain Israel’s operational superiority in regional air combat scenarios.
Both the Meteor and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles are considered critical assets in long-range aerial engagements, fundamentally shaping the tactical dynamics of modern air combat and regional military balances.
Meteor BVRAAM: The West’s Most Advanced Air Superiority Missile
The Meteor is a state-of-the-art beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA, a European missile consortium, to give Western air forces a decisive edge in air superiority combat at extended ranges.
Conceived in the early 2000s under the requirement for a next-generation long-range missile capable of countering the evolving threat landscape, the Meteor represents a quantum leap over legacy missiles such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM and MBDA’s own MICA EM.
Unlike most contemporary BVRAAMs that rely on traditional rocket motors, the Meteor is powered by a ramjet propulsion system—a unique air-breathing engine design that sustains high supersonic speeds (in excess of Mach 4) over extended distances.
This propulsion technology allows the Meteor to maintain kinetic energy throughout its engagement envelope, enabling high maneuverability and lethal terminal performance even at the outer edges of its reported 200+ km range—a capability that significantly reduces the probability of escape for high-value or fast-maneuvering targets.
At the heart of the Meteor is an active radar seeker, based on a Ku-band active electronically scanned array (AESA), which ensures precision tracking and target discrimination in cluttered environments, even against electronically protected or stealthy aircraft.
The missile also features a sophisticated datalink that allows in-flight target updates and retargeting via the launching platform or allied airborne assets such as AWACS or fighters equipped with sensor fusion suites.
A key tactical advantage of the Meteor is its “no-escape zone” (NEZ), which is reportedly three to four times greater than the AIM-120C-5/7 and far exceeds most Chinese or Russian counterparts, including the PL-12, R-77-1, and even some iterations of the R-37M.
This expanded NEZ enables the Meteor to engage and destroy even fast, highly agile threats such as enemy fighters, AEW&C platforms, or high-speed cruise missiles, long before they can threaten the launch platform.
Meteor is currently integrated with a select group of NATO and allied aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and Saab Gripen E/F. Integration with the F-35 Lightning II is under discussion but complicated by the U.S. prioritisation of domestic munitions and software control over the stealth fighter’s weapons suite.
MBDA’s export policy regarding the Meteor is notably selective, with access largely restricted to trusted Western-aligned nations, often with conditions influenced by Israel’s security concerns in the Middle East.
