Mirage 2000

 MIRAGE 2000

MIRAGE 2000

Mirage 2000 is a multirole, single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III. The Mirage 2000 over a period of time got developed into a multirole jet.

WHY IN NEWS:

On 26th February 2019, near about 3:30a:m, 12 Indian Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets, entered Pakistani airspace and dropped 1,000-kg laser-guided bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror launch pads across the Line of Control.

While India has many new-age fighter jets like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and MiG 29, apart from the indigenously developed Tejas LCA in its kitty,

 India's LCA TEJAS Fighter Aircraft

Sukhoi Su-30MKI

MIG 29

It was again the Mirage-2000 jet, which was used in the Kargil war, that was used for the unprecedented cross-border strike.

History:

The Mirage-2000 is undoubtedly one of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) most versatile and deadliest aircraft and it was first commissioned in 1985. Soon after inducting the Mirage, IAF gave it the name – Vajra – meaning lightening thunderbolt in Sanskrit. It was developed by Dassault Aviation and took its first flight in 1978 and was inducted in the French Air Force in 1984. India had placed an initial order of 36 single-seater Mirage-2000 and 4 twin-seater Mirage 2000 in 1982 as a competition to Pakistan buying US-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin.

The aircraft played a major role in the Kargil war of 1999 and helped sway the battle in India's favour by dropping laser-guided bombs on the peaks occupied by Pakistani militants during the high-altitude conflict.

Specifications:

The Mirage is ideally designed to seat a single fighter pilot but can be made into a twin-seat jet depending on the armed forces' requirements. The plane weighs 7500 kg and has a total takeoff weight of 17000 kg. The Mirage 2000 has a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (2336 kmph) and can travel 1550 km with drop tanks.

This gives the Mirage-2000 an advantage in quick operations. India inducted the Mirage jets some 30 years ago but the upgraded version is a “very potent platform .. it is a game changer in the air”.
The upgraded Mirage is a generation ahead of the older version and about half a generation ahead of the Sukhoi Su30MKI, which was a second choice for the attack on the camp. In comparison, the Russian made Sukhoi Su30MKI has a speed of 2120 kmph (Mach 2), slower than the Mirage-2000 and is heavier too.

The Mirage 2000 multi-role aircraft was chosen for the strike for its capability to hit targets with “pin-point” accuracy. A number of other assets and platforms of the IAF were also used in the operation, first inside Pakistan after the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Not only is the Mirage-2000 a trusted partner in India's previous success in Kargil, but it is also immensely capable to carry out Surgical Strikes and attacks whenever possible, thanks to its load-carrying capacity, precision, Laser Guided Bombs and latest technology updates.

Countries With Mirage 2000:

Apart from India, the eight other countries, including France are Egypt, UAE, Peru, Taiwan, Peru, Greece and Brazil.

Although, Brazil has deactivated these jets in 2013 but it still is one of the most prolific jets India has in its artillery and is the most accurate strike weapon utilized by INDIAN AIR FORCE.