Meteor vs R550 Magic II
The Meteor and the R550 Magic II are both Air-to-Air missiles. The Meteor has a range of 200 km — 10:1 the R550 Magic II's 20 km. The Meteor reaches 4,900 km/h vs 3,334 km/h for the R550 Magic II. Launch weight is 190 kg for the Meteor vs 89 kg for the R550 Magic II. The Meteor uses Inertial guidance, mid-course update via datalink, terminal active radar homing guidance, while the R550 Magic II relies on Infrared homing. Unit cost is $2M for the Meteor vs $0.09M for the R550 Magic II. The R550 Magic II entered service 30 years before the Meteor (1986 vs 2016).
| European air-to-air missile, entering service in 2016, uses active radar homing for terminal guidance. | |
| Origin | 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇫🇷 France, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| Category | Air-to-Air |
| Type | Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile |
| Manufacturer | MBDA, Saab, Bayern-Chemie et Inmize |
| Service year | 2016 |
| Number produced | -- units |
| Estimated unit price | $2 million |
| French air-to-air missile, entered service in 1986, uses infrared homing for guidance. | |
| Origin | 🇫🇷 France |
| Category | Air-to-Air |
| Type | Infrared-guided air-to-air missile |
| Manufacturer | Matra |
| Service year | 1986 |
| Number produced | 11,300 units |
| Estimated unit price | $0.1 million |
| Range | 200.0 km ◉ |
| Maximum speed | Mach 4.0 ◉ |
| Weight | 190 kg ◉ |
| Warhead | -- kg |
| Length | 3.65 m ◉ |
| Diameter | 178 mm ◉ |
| Guidance | Inertial guidance, mid-course update via datalink, terminal active radar homing |
| Warhead type | High explosive blast-fragmentation |
| Range | 20.0 km ◉ |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.7 ◉ |
| Weight | 89 kg ◉ |
| Warhead | 12.5 kg |
| Length | 2.75 m ◉ |
| Diameter | 157 mm ◉ |
| Guidance | Infrared homing |
| Warhead type | High Explosive |
Performance Radar Chart
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has longer range, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The Meteor has a longer range at 200 km compared to the R550 Magic II's 20 km.
Which is faster, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The Meteor is faster with a maximum speed of Mach 4.0 compared to the R550 Magic II's Mach 2.7.
Which has a larger warhead, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The R550 Magic II carries a larger warhead at 12 kg compared to the Meteor's 0 kg.
Which is heavier, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The Meteor is heavier at 190 kg compared to the R550 Magic II's 89 kg.
Which is longer, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The Meteor is longer at 3.65 meters compared to the R550 Magic II's 2.75 meters.
What guidance systems do the Meteor and R550 Magic II use?
The Meteor uses Inertial guidance, mid-course update via datalink, terminal active radar homing guidance while the R550 Magic II uses Infrared homing guidance.
Which entered service first, the Meteor or R550 Magic II?
The R550 Magic II entered service first in 1986, 30 years before the Meteor which entered service in 2016.