To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the results of MBDA’s first test firing of the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile on 9 May; and whether the development of the Meteor missile is on schedule. (79542)

The first firing of a Meteor missile took place on 9 May. The missile maintained full guidance control throughout its planned flight. Data were successfully collected during the flight and the debris was recovered. A second firing was successfully conducted on 20 June, the data from which are now being analysed.

The Meteor programme remains on schedule to achieve the in-service date declared in the Major Project Report 2005.