Meteor vs R550 Magic
The Meteor and the R550 Magic are both Air-to-Air missiles. The Meteor has a range of 200 km — 17:1 the R550 Magic's 12 km. The Meteor reaches 4,900 km/h vs 3,704 km/h for the R550 Magic. Launch weight is 190 kg for the Meteor vs 89 kg for the R550 Magic. The Meteor uses Inertial guidance, mid-course update via datalink, terminal active radar homing guidance, while the R550 Magic relies on Infrared homing. Unit cost is $2M for the Meteor vs $0.09M for the R550 Magic. The R550 Magic 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, entering service in 1986, utilizes 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 | 12.0 km ◉ |
| Maximum speed | Mach 3.0 ◉ |
| Weight | 89 kg ◉ |
| Warhead | 12.5 kg |
| Length | 2.75 m ◉ |
| Diameter | 160 mm ◉ |
| Guidance | Infrared homing |
| Warhead type | High Explosive |
Performance Radar Chart
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has longer range, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The Meteor has a longer range at 200 km compared to the R550 Magic's 12 km.
Which is faster, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The Meteor is faster with a maximum speed of Mach 4.0 compared to the R550 Magic's Mach 3.0.
Which has a larger warhead, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The R550 Magic carries a larger warhead at 12 kg compared to the Meteor's 0 kg.
Which is heavier, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The Meteor is heavier at 190 kg compared to the R550 Magic's 89 kg.
Which is longer, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The Meteor is longer at 3.65 meters compared to the R550 Magic's 2.75 meters.
What guidance systems do the Meteor and R550 Magic use?
The Meteor uses Inertial guidance, mid-course update via datalink, terminal active radar homing guidance while the R550 Magic uses Infrared homing guidance.
Which entered service first, the Meteor or R550 Magic?
The R550 Magic entered service first in 1986, 30 years before the Meteor which entered service in 2016.