The Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) will replace the currently operational Second Generation (MSG) of European geostationary satellites in the 2018 time frame. EUMETSAT started early 2001 the activities for defining the MTG geostationary system to ensure the continuity and improvement of the MSG system. To provide services satisfying the evolving user/service needs in the 2018-2038 timeframe, the MTG system will encompass as instruments a Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), a Lightning Imager (LI), and a hyperspectral InfraRed Sounder (IRS). Additionally, there will an Ultraviolet-Visible-Near infrared spectrometer (UVN) provided by ESA through the GMES programme. These four instruments will be embarked on two types of satellites, the imaging satellites (MTG-I) carrying a FCI and LI, and the sounding satellites (MTG-S) carrying an IRS and UVN. To cover the at least 20 years MTG Programme lifetime for the imagery mission and 15.5 years lifetime for the sounding mission, a series of four MTG-I satellites and a series of two MTG-S satellites will be delivered by Industry. The estimated downlink data rate of one MTG-I satellite is 70 Mbps and that of one MTG-S satellite 200 Mbps, leading to a continuous downlink data rate of 340 Mbps for the MTG nominal configuration of three satellites (2 MTG-I & 1 MTG-S) in orbit. A worse case downlink data rate of 540 Mbps needs to be supported for the case of a four satellite configuration (2 MTG-I & 2 MTG-S) during commissioning of the second MTG-S satellite. The MTG ground segment at EUMETSAT HQ will support all MTG satellites and missions. It will contain a Mission Operations Facility (MOF) capable to support the parallel operations of 4 three axes stabilized satellites. The Instrument Data Processing Facility (IDPF), which will provide the Level 0 to Level 1 processing of the MTG payload for the MTG nominal configuration of three satellites (2 MTG-I & 1 MTG-S). The Level 2 product processing is shared between the Central Application Facility (CAF) located at EUMETSAT HQ and the distributed Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs) of the overall MTG ground segment. Ground Stations for Mission Data Acquisition and for Telemetry, Tracking and Control will also be newly developed for MTG, while a number of elements already in use in Operational Programmes will become available for MTG as Multi Mission Elements

The presentation will inform on the status of the MTG Programme at EUMESAT covering the activities to achieve a successful development of the MTG system and its operation over a 20 year time frame (2018-2038). The presentation will address the dedicated MTG missions (FCI, IRS, LI) and also the UVN mission, which is the realisation of the GMES Sentinel 4 mission onboard the MTG-S satellites. Detailed information on the anticipated benefits of the MTG missions compared to MSG will be presented.