Dassault Mirage 2000

[Archibald]

ACIG.org had a full blown recap of that air war (Alto Cenepa ?)

 

[helmutkohl]

the peru vs ecuador war was the closest we would see to the Mirage 2000 vs Mirage F1

 

[TomcatViP]

French adversary private contractor ready to invest in 4 M2K to provide additional red air service for the French forces:

Ares projette d’investir, en liaison avec le constructeur Dassault-Aviation, le motoriste Safran et l’équipementier Thales, dans la modernisation de sa flotte avec des Mirage 2000, avions de 4e génération, supersoniques équipés de radar, pour répondre et s’adapter avec le plus haut niveau de réalisme aux besoins d’entraînement opérationnel grandissants des Forces armées françaises & européennes », explique la société dans un communiqué de presse.
---------------------//------------------------
Ares plans to invest, in conjunction with the manufacturer Dassault-Aviation, the engine manufacturer Safran and the equipment supplier Thales, in the modernization of its fleet with Mirage 2000, 4th generation aircraft, supersonic equipped with radar, to respond and adapt with the highest level of realism to the growing operational training needs of the French & European Armed Forces, ”the company explains in a press release.

Obviously, now that there is not a single F-1 airframe left available for French contractors...
4 more years of the present administration and even the used Rafale won't be left.

https://www.ouest-france.fr/politique/defense/ares-le-nouvel-acteur-aeronautique-prive-francais-se-mesure-a-l-aviation-militaire-30615658-a285-11eb-865f-8333e4f65ebb

Accueil - Ares Aviation

3 professions for overall performance OPERATIONAL REDAIR FLIGHT TRAINING AIRCRAFT AND HELICOPTER MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION OPTRONIC EQUIPMENTS

ares-aviation.com

 

[kaiserd]

the peru vs ecuador war was the closest we would see to the Mirage 2000 vs Mirage F1

Well French M2000’s were deployed to and involved in the 1990 Gulf War so would have been potential for engagements with Iraqi MF1’s (which didn’t happen).

 

[Archibald]

What happened to Apache aviation, incidentally ? did they went under ?

 

[TomcatViP]

Swan and Stork ballet (the one that is not from Tchaikovsky):

 

[TomcatViP]

Offshore of Crimea, 2x M2KD (with ASTAC ESM/ELINT pods) + C135FR:

View: https://youtu.be/I9IY_3HC6Rg

French Fighters Packing High-Tech Surveillance Pods Just Probed Russian Defenses

A Russian fighter crew caught a rare glimpse of a secretive French surveillance operation this week.

www.forbes.com

ASTAC Tactical Signals Analyzer Airborne pod

ELINT intelligence in the third dimension The ASTAC system, developed by Thales is an ESM/ELINT (Electronic Support Measures/ELectronic INTelligence) system using the latest proven technologies.

www.thalesgroup.com

 

[Deltafan]

Do you want to see schock waves during aero-shooting ?

 

[Trident]

Nice! Excellent visual explanation of why the target won't hear a thing until the rounds hit (or why people in even the general vicinity of the impact area hear the hits before the firing sound - I can vouch for that!).

 

[TomcatViP]

Some clear footage of M2K straffing training targets:

Le Journal du week-end | TF1

Le vendredi à 20h, le samedi et le dimanche, "LE WE" prend le relais des journaux de la semaine ("LE 13H" et "LE 20H"). La rédaction TF1, à travers le jt du weekend continue de vous informer et ainsi met en exergue l'actualité régionale, nationale et internationale. Le journal du weekend est...

www.tf1.fr

 

[TomcatViP]

M2K down over Mali (both pilots safe, one sustained injuries - no victim on the ground). Reported as a technical malfunction:

French Mirage 2000 crash in Mali

French Mirage 2000 crash in Mali On 20 July 2021, during a support mission in the Hombori region of Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso, the crew of a Mirage 2000D had to eject...

www.scramble.nl

Slightly more details here (in Fr) :

Un avion militaire français s'écrase au Mali, deux survivants

L'armée française a rapporté ce mardi 20 juillet le crash de l’un de ses avions au Mali. L’avion, un Mirage 2000 D français, opérant au profit de la force Barkh

lanouvelletribune.info

 

[TomcatViP]

Some nice pictures of the M2K demo team at an airshow (a pair of M2K-C) :

Air Legend 2021 : Les Mirage 2000 font le show (photos)

La patrouille Gusto a présenté une démonstration tactique à deux Mirage 2000C

www.aeroweb-fr.net

 

[TomcatViP]

The great aircraft Bazaar isn't over yet:

Out of the 24 fighters, 13 are in complete condition with engine and airframe intact with eight of them (nearly half a squadron) ready to fly after servicing. The remaining 11 fighters are partially complete but with fuel tanks and ejection seats, which will be scavenged to secure parts for IAF’s two existing squadrons of the fighter.
[...]
IAF has initialled a contract worth 27 million euros to buy the fighters, eight of which are in ready-to-fly condition, the people cited above added. That works out to a per-aircraft acquisition cost of 1.125 million euros. The people cited above said the aircraft will soon be shipped to India in containers.

IAF to bolster fighter fleet with 24 second-hand Mirages

IAF’s 35-year old Mirage fleet, which performed exceptionally during the 2019 Balakot operation, is undergoing a mid-life upgrade, the people said – with the trigger for the acquisition of the second-hand aircraft being the immediate need for 300 critical spares.

www.hindustantimes.com

 

[helmutkohl]

if the rumors are true and that India was once offered the M2K production line then passed it up..
might be one of the biggest mistakes for the IAF.

they had a known aircraft that has been one of the IAF's best performers, and they probably wouldnt need to wait on the Tejas.

 

[Archibald]

@TomcatViP

You have to realize France very own Davis Monthan aircraft boneyard (Chateaudun air base) has been unceremoniously closed some years ago.
So the Armée de l'Air presently has no more boneyard to dump its old combat aircraft.
Hence: we must dump them at foreign countries, in a hurry. Hence the bargain prices... Also applies to Museums.

Imagine the mess when all 80 Tucanos bought only in 1994 were retired in 2009 at Chateaudun, stayed there gathering dust...and then the base closed. Mind you, some ended in Mauritania as spares for their Super Tucanos. Others have been dumped to Rochefort as canon fodder for aprentice mechanics.

And now its the Alphajets.

@helmutkohl I've heard of that story and such offer coming from Dassault - I'm not really surprised. Nor from India - I'm quite sure I've heard about similar story related to the Jaguar and other types...

 

[Archibald]

The post was tongue-in-cheek...

 

[TomcatViP]

The contract, signed by an MND procurement representative in Europe on Sept. 13, will remain valid for five years until Sept. 13, 2026. The document is only the latest in a series of agreements designed to keep the Mirage jets and the missiles up to date as they have been stationed in Hsinchu for 24 years.

Taiwan and France’s Dassault sign service agreement for Mirage jets | Taiwan News | 2021-09-18 13:37:00

Dassault likely to station technical experts at Hsinchu Air Force Base in northern Taiwan | 2021-09-18 13:37:00

www.taiwannews.com.tw

 

[Archibald]

Those Mirages may soon found themselves VERY busy... oh wait, they already are. With all those massive Chinese air force intrusions.

 

[GTX]

My understanding is that the ROCAF Mirage 2000s have struggled with serviceability and operational availability

 

[TomcatViP]

More rumor reporting that older Greek M2K (BGM/EGM) could go to a private air adversary service company in France (albeit that would contradicts the fact that GrAF seems to have relied on them for the Exocet delivery mission) - in Fr:

Le Mirage 2000 va connaître une seconde jeunesse... en jouant les "agresseurs" dans le privé - Zone Militaire

Quand il entra en service, au début des années 1980, le Mirage 2000C était alors considéré comme étant un avion révolutionnaire, grâce, notamment, à son

www.opex360.com

 

[TomcatViP]

M2K MKI upgrade seriously lagging behind schedule (and costly) :

The contract for the upgrade of 51 Mirage 2000s was signed in 2011. Sources say only about 50% upgrade has been completed & the programme will take another 2-3 years to finish.
[...]
[ Then-defence minister A.K. Antony] argued that if an escalation price of 3.5 per cent per annum is taken into account, the cost of the aircraft acquired in 2000 would come to Rs 195 crore in 2011, and hence, the upgrade cost was 85 per cent of the aircraft cost.

Why India is set to miss 2021 deadline to upgrade Mirage 2000 fighters

The contract for the upgrade of 51 Mirage 2000s was signed in 2011. Sources say only about 50% upgrade has been completed & the programme will take another 2-3 years to finish.

theprint.in

 

[helmutkohl]

I'm wondering if its worth it to keep upgrading or just use the money to buy more Rafales instead?
is there any advantage the M2K has over the Rafales besides perhaps being cheaper to operate and better looking?

 

[TomcatViP]

IMO it still stand as a better interceptor. Then, when it goes to A2G strike, the Rafale will certainly do as well or better.

 

[Archibald]

Behind IAF's new deal for Mirage 2000 spares is a 40-year saga of missed opportunities

India had opportunity to manufacture Mirage 2000s twice, in 1980s and 2000s. But now, it has to buy phased-out aircraft to keep its fleet of 50 going.

theprint.in

Licence-build Mirage 2000s in India ? twice ?

 

[TomcatViP]

IAF's Mirage-2000 crashes in Madhya Pradesh, pilot ejected safely:

An Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 crashed in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind on Thursday while on a training sortie and the pilot, who managed to eject safely before the crash, was being treated for minor injuries, a police officer said. Bhind police superintendent Manoj Kumar Singh said that Flight Lieutenant Abhilash took off from Gwalior Air Base in a Mirage 2000 aircraft at around 10 am before it crashed at Babedi village panchayat after covering a distance of 70 km . He added that the pilot soon landed safely using parachute in nearby Parasram Ka Pura village. An IAF Mirage 2000 aircraft experienced a technical malfunction during a training sortie in the central sector this morning. The pilot ejected safely. An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” an Indian Air Force (IAF) tweet said. Police force has been deployed at the crash site to keep a crowd of curious onlookers. Watch this video for full details.

IAF's Mirage-2000 crashes in Madhya Pradesh, Watch how pilot ejected safely

An Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 crashed in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind on Thursday while on a training sortie and the pilot, who managed to eject safely before the crash, was being treated for minor injuries, a police officer said. Bhind police superintendent Manoj Kumar Singh said that...

www.hindustantimes.com

 

[Archibald]

Drats. If Indian Mirage 2000s are headed the same way as their goddam MiG-21s in a recent past... soon there won't be even a single one standing.

Dear God. People are joking about German and non-German F-104s appaling crash rates; but the very unfortunate Indian pilots proved the vaunted MiG-21 could do as bad, if not worse.

How many Mig-21s India ever built, and how many crashed ? that was truly horrible.

 

[GTX]

How many Mig-21s India ever built, and how many crashed ? that was truly horrible.

https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/Accidents/listing.php?qacid=50&qt=TY

 

[TomcatViP]

Dassault-Aviation contracted to provide M2K maintenance work and upgrades for the next 14 years. No details on cost or performance index are available yet.

Dassault Aviation a obtenu un contrat "verticalisé" pour assurer l'entretien des Mirage 2000 jusqu'à leur retrait du service - Zone Militaire

Dans les années 1960, à la demande de l'état-major de l'armée de l'Air, Dassault Aviation mena des travaux en vue de mettre au point un avion de combat

www.opex360.com

 

[TomcatViP]

Embarrassing alleged corruption scandal related to M2KI upgrade resurfaces:

https://www.theweek.in/news/biz-tech/2022/01/11/french-company-denies-middleman-claims-about-iaf-mirage-upgrade-deal.amp.html

 

[TomcatViP]

Last M2KN retired from service (DGA):

Mis en service dans les forces aériennes stratégiques le 1er avril 1988 et retirés du service opérationnel en 2017, certains Mirage 2000N ont poursuivi leur carrière à DGA Essais en vol. Le M2000N n°356 était le tout dernier encore en service.

Les avions modifiés et instrumentés au sein de DGA Essais en vol sont utilisés au profit du développement de nouveaux standards ainsi que d’équipements et d’armements destinés à être intégrés sur Mirage 2000 ou sur Rafale. L’expertise technico-opérationnelle des experts de la DGA permet la spécification et la validation d’équipements répondant aux besoins opérationnels des forces.

Ce M2000N, au standard K3, disposait du potentiel suffisant pour réaliser quelques centaines d’heures de vol d’essais avant sa butée de maintenance. Il constituait une excellente transition jusqu’à l’arrivée prochaine des M2000D, plus modernes, dans le cadre du renouvellement de la flotte de chasseurs de DGA Essais en vol.
----------------**---------------------

Commissioned in the strategic air forces on April 1, 1988 and withdrawn from operational service in 2017, some Mirage 2000N continued their career at DGA Flight Test center. The M2000N n°356 was the very last one still in service.

Aircraft modified and instrumented within DGA Flight Testing are used for the development of new standards as well as equipment and armaments intended to be integrated on Mirage 2000 or Rafale. The technical and operational expertise of the DGA experts allows the specification and validation of equipment meeting the operational needs of the forces.

This M2000N was at the K3 standard and had sufficient potential to achieve a few hundred hours of test flight before its planned maintenance. It was an excellent mean to ensure a smooth transition until the upcoming arrival of the more modern M2000Ds, as part of the renewal of the DGA Flight Testing fighter fleet.

https://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/actualite/retrait-de-service-du-dernier-mirage-2000n-en-service-en-france

 

[TomcatViP]

Another Taiwanese M2K crashed today:

Amid continued tensions between China and Taiwan, a Taiwanese Mirage-2000 fighter jet has crashed while the pilot ejected safely, according to the Taiwan Air Force.

The Taiwanese fighter jet disappeared from radar screens at 11:26 a.m., after it took off from eastern Taitung Air Base Taiwan for routine training earlier in the day, according to the Air Force.

Its sole pilot Lieutenant Colonel Huang Chung-kai was able to eject safely, the Air Force said, without providing any further details.

Mirage-2000 Crash - Amid 'High-Voltage Tensions With China, French-Origin Aircraft Of Taiwan Goes Down, Pilot Ejects Safely

Amid continued tensions between China and Taiwan, a Taiwanese Mirage-2000 fighter jet has crashed while the pilot ejected safely, according to the Taiwan Air Force. The Taiwanese fighter jet disappeared from radar screens at 11:26 a.m., after it took off from eastern Taitung Air Base Taiwan for...

eurasiantimes.com

The air force said the French-built aircraft took off just after 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) on a training mission from the Chihhang air base in the southeastern city of Taitung and reported it had to return after a mechanical problem.

The pilot ejected over the sea south of the air base and was rescued safe and in good condition by helicopter, it added.

Air force Inspector-General Liu Hui-chien told reporters the Mirage fleet would be grounded while an investigation was carried out.

Taiwan grounds Mirage fighters after jet crashes into sea

Taiwan's air force grounded its fleet of Mirage 2000 fighter jets on Monday after one crashed into the sea, the second combat aircraft loss in the space of three months though this time the pilot was rescued.

www.reuters.com

And put in context here:

Taiwan again warns Chinese aircraft in its air defense zone

Taiwan has complained of regular such missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself.

www.jpost.com

 

[Archibald]

Ah crap. Seems that PRC pressure on ROCAF is wearing out the Mirage fleet faster and faster...

 

[Deltafan]

Maybe 36 UAE Mirage 2000-9 for Greece

Τα Rafale και τα Mirage 2000-9 των ΗΑΕ θα αποτελέσουν τη Γαλλικό «δόρυ» πάνω από το Αιγαίο - «Πράσινο» φως από το Παρίσι – Το παρασκήνιο

Πληροφορίες αναφέρουν ότι η Πολεμική μας Αεροπορία φαίνεται να έχει καταλήξει στην απόκτηση τουλάχιστον 36 «Δελταπτέρυγων» Mirage 2000-9 από τα συνολικά 64 τα οποία διαθέτει σήμερα η UAE Air Force, 49 της έκδοσης EAD/ RAD και επιπλέον 15 εκπαιδευτικά αεροσκάφη της έκδοσης DAD.

newpost.gr

Automatic translation in English from Greek

Information indicates that our Air Force seems to have reached the acquisition of at least 36 "Delta wings" Mirage 2000-9 out of the total 64 currently available to the UAE Air Force, 49 of the EAD / RAD version and an additional 15 training aircraft of the DAD version.

Our Air Force is getting closer and closer to acquiring the most modern Mirage in the world. These are the upgraded Mirage 2000-9 which belong to the UAE Air Force and will according to plan be sold as the Arabs proceed to acquire 80 French Rafale fighters. Newpost is coming back with new information on the issue it had revealed two weeks ago.

The positive attitude of France and Emmanuel Macron seems to have already turned into a resounding "oui" with the French president giving the "green" light for the sale of the aircraft from the United Arab Emirates to Greece. Since the consent of the manufacturing country France is necessary in order to sell a French weapon system to a third country. The issue seems to have already been discussed at the highest political level, since the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has excellent relations with the French President, whom he saw recently.

Athens' decision to proceed with the acquisition of 24 Rafale fighters, three with an option for yet another Belharra frigates, as well as the open possibility - with great chances of a deal for the purchase of Gowind corvettes - seem to have played a decisive role in the French "yes". And it now makes Greece and our Air Force the big favorite to acquire through France the powerful "Delta wings" of the Emirati people. At a time when interest in the UAE's Mirage 2000-9 is said to have been expressed by both Egypt and Morocco, with Paris, however, demonstrating its support for Athens at every opportunity, with yesterday's macron statements about NATO's role in the Greco-Turkish crisis of 2020 indicative.

In the near future, developments are expected in the new large armament "deal" sought by Athens and the Greek Staff. Reports indicate that senior officials of the United Arab Emirates are going to visit Greece. And among other things, it is assumed that the issue of the acquisition of the Mirage 2000-9 by our Air Force will be put on the table.

Information indicates that our Air Force seems to have reached the acquisition of at least 36 "Delta wings" Mirage 2000-9 out of the total 64 currently available to the UAE Air Force, 49 of the EAD / RAD version and an additional 15 training aircraft of the DAD version.

The decision to sell the Mirage 2000-9 was taken by the Emirati when they recently entered into the impressive deal with the French Dassault to acquire 80 state-of-the-art Rafale. With the first gusts being picked up by Abu Dhabi in 2026 and then the concession of the Mirage 2000-9 begins. Athens, however, if it manages to close the deal, is expected to pressure the Arabs in order to start earlier the receipt of the first fighters, so that our Air Force can immediately raise the roof of its fleet of aircraft by including in its arsenal a modern fighter that can undertake multiple missions, starting with the defense of the Aegean. So as not to "wear out" but instead to help both the Rafale and the upgraded Vipers.

 

[Archibald]

Here we go again... the Schrodinger / Heisenberg 2000-9s. Say my name...

Over the last decades they have been hypothetically dumped to a whole bunch of countries, Iraq included. Yet they have remained with the UAE AF whatever happened.

Will Greece be luckier ?

 

[TomcatViP]

Let's not forget that the UAE industry has developed a nice set of weapons that can find a market with such deal and pollinate past their own air force.

 

[Deltafan]

Here we go again... the Schrodinger / Heisenberg 2000-9s. Say my name...

Over the last decades they have been hypothetically dumped to a whole bunch of countries, Iraq included. Yet they have remained with the UAE AF whatever happened.

Will Greece be luckier ?

At those times, the UAE had not ordered 80 Rafales to replace them.

The future will answer.

 

[TomcatViP]

Now (again) appearing in Morocco (gifted away):

Les Mirages 2000-9 offerts au Maroc par les Emirats confirment l’entente des deux pays

Les Mirages 2000-9 offerts à titre gracieux par les EAU et le Qatar au Maroc auraient des fonctions purement défensives, font savoirles autorités de Rabat Par Olivier DELAGARDE Un journal espagnol avait révélé récemment que le royaume du Maroc devait acquérir des avions de chasse de type Mirage...

mondafrique.com

Notice also that the French press is alarmingly full of fast jets oopsie (including identified M2K) with some seen low or fast where they should not be. Can be anything but could be the results of some foreign students training.

 

[hesham]

all the aircaft fanboys are now going to throw money at the Egyptian AF to conduct studies on Rafale vs Typhoon vs F-16 vs F-15 vs MiG-29 vs Su-35 and get the answers they finally been looking for

You'll not gona to believe this,during late 1980s,we made a training dogfight
between F-16 and Mirage-2000,and the Mirage-2000 did beaten it easy,and
the Mirage-2000 was demonstrated incredible two maneuverings,one of them
cleared by made a circles in radius less than 100 meters,and on altitude less
than 30 meters,can you imagine ?.

 

[totoro]

I can perfectly well imagine a delta wing fighter having a better instantaneous turn rate than an f16a, enough for one very tight circle.

 

[hesham]

,and
the Mirage-2000 was demonstrated incredible two maneuverings,one of them
cleared by made a circles in radius less than 100 meters,and on altitude less
than 30 meters,can you imagine ?.

I can perfectly well imagine a delta wing fighter having a better instantaneous turn rate than an f16a, enough for one very tight circle.

You misunderstand me Totoro,

in dogfight,Mirage won easy,but in individual demonstration for it after
that show,it made impossible two maneuverings,and I explain one of them,
and may the radius was less than 80 meters,not 100 !,I saw it in our TV by
that time ?.