Dassault Mirage 2000

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Mirage_2000

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The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French 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 for the French Air Force
(Armée de l'Air). The Mirage 2000 evolved into a multirole aircraft with several
variants developed, with sales to a number of nations. It was later developed
into the Mirage 2000N and 2000D strike variants, the improved Mirage 2000-5 and
several export variants. Over 600 aircraft were built and it has been in service
with nine nations.

The origins of the Mirage 2000 could be traced back to 1965, when France was
involved with Britain "Anglo-French Variable Geometry" (AFVG) swing-wing
aircraft. Two years later the country withdrew from the project on grounds of
costs, after which Britain would collaborate with Western Germany and Italy to
ultimately produce the Panavia Tornado, Dassault focused its energy on its own
variable-geometry aircraft, the Dassault Mirage G experimental prototype. The
design was expected to materialise in the Mirage G8, which would serve as the
replacement for the popular Mirage III in French Air Force service.

The aircraft uses retractable tricycle type landing gear by Messier-Dowty, with
twin nosewheels and a single wheel on each main gear. A runway tailhook or a
fairing for a brake parachute can be fitted under the tail, which can operate in
conjunction with the landing gear's carbon brakes to shorten landing distances.
A removable refueling probe can be attached in front of the cockpit, offset
slightly to the right of centre.

The Mirage 2000 is available as a single-seat or two-seat multi-role fighter.
The pilot flies the aircraft by means of a centre stick and left hand throttles,
with both incorporating hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls. The pilot
sits on a SEM MB Mk10 zero-zero ejection seat (a license-built version of the
British Martin-Baker Mark 10).

The instrument panel (in the Mirage 2000 C) is dominated by a Sextant VE-130
head-up display which presents data relating to flight control, navigation,
target engagement and weapon firing, and a radar screen located centrally below
it.

The SNECMA M53 afterburning turbofan was developed for the ACF, and was
available for the Mirage 2000 project. It is a single-shaft engine of modular
construction that is relatively light and simple compared to those of the
British or American designs. The M53 consists of three low-pressure compressor
stages, five high-pressure stages and two turbine stages. With the development
programme consisting of 20 engines, the M53 sans suffix was first bench tested
in February 1970 and became airborne on a Caravelle testbed in July 1973.
Dassault conducted flight tests of the M53-2 version using its Mirage F1E
testbeds starting in December 1974; this version produced 84 kilonewtons (19,000
lbf) in afterburner. The Mirage 2000 itself was powered by two versions of the
M53 – the M53-5, which equipped initial operational aircraft, was rated at 88 kN
(20,000 lbf) of thrust with afterburner. The definitive version of the engine,
the M53-P2, which equipped the majority of the type, is rated at 65 kN (15,000
lbf) in dry thrust and 95 kN (21,000 lbf) in afterburner.

The Mirage 2000 is equipped with built-in twin DEFA 554 autocannon (now GIAT
30–550 F4) 30 mm revolver-type cannons with 125 rounds each. The cannons have
selectable fire rates of 1,200 or 1,800 rounds per minute.


Role
Multirole fighter

National origin
France

Manufacturer
Dassault Aviation

First flight
10 March 1978

Introduction
July 1984

Status
In service

Primary users
French Air Force
United Arab Emirates Air Force
Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan)
Indian Air Force

Produced
1978–2007

Number built
601

Variants
Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D

Developed into
Dassault Mirage 4000

The first aircraft entered service in July 1984. The first operational squadron
was formed during the same year, the 50th anniversary of the French Air Force. A
total of 124 Mirage-2000Cs were obtained by the AdA.

French Mirage 2000s were used during the Gulf War where they flew high altitude
air defence for USAF U2 spy aircraft, as well as in UN and NATO air operations
during the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War. During Operation Deliberate Force, on
30 August 1995, one Mirage 2000D was shot down over Bosnia by a 9K38 Igla
shoulder-launched missile fired by air defence units of the Army of Republika
Srpska, prompting efforts to obtain improved defensive systems. Both crew
members were captured.

French Mirage 2000Ds later served with the International Security Assistance
Force during the conflict in Afghanistan in 2001–2002, operating in close
conjunction with international forces and performing precision attacks with
laser-guided bombs. In the summer of 2007, after the Dassault Rafale fighters
had been removed from the theater of operations, three French Mirage 2000s were
deployed to Afghanistan in support of NATO troops.

The Mirage 2000 is being replaced in French service by the Dassault Rafale,
which became operational with the French Air Force in June 2006.

Specifications (Mirage 2000)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 14.36 m (47 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 9.13 m (29 ft)
Height: 5.20 m (17 ft)
Wing area: 41 m² (441.3 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,500 kg (16,350 lb)
Loaded weight: 13,800 kg (30,420 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,000 kg (37,500 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofan Dry thrust: 64.3 kN (14,500
lbf)
Thrust with afterburner: 95.1 kN (21,400 lbf)


Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,336 km/h, 1,451 mph) at high altitude/ 1,110 km/h
(690 mph) at low altitude
Range: 1,550 km (837 nmi, 963 mi) with drop tanks
Ferry range: 3,335 km (1,800 nmi, 2,073 mi) with auxiliary fuel
Service ceiling: 17,060 m (59,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 285 m/s
(56,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: 337 kg/m² (69 lb/ft²)
Thrust/weight: 0.7 at loaded weight

Armament

Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 554 revolver cannon, 125 rounds per gun
Hardpoints: 9 total (4× under-wing, 5× under-fuselage) with a capacity of 6,300
kg (13,900 lb) external fuel and ordnance
Rockets: Matra 68 mm unguided rocket pods, 18 rockets per pod
Missiles:
Air-to-air missiles: 6× MBDA MICA IR/RF(Mirage 2000-5, Mirage 2000-9, Mirage
2000 I)
2× Matra R550 Magic-II and 2× Matra Super 530D (Mirage 2000 C)

Air-to-surface missiles: 2× AM.39 Exocet (Mirage 2000 EG, Mirage 2000-5 Mk2)


Bombs:
Unguided: Mk.82

Guided: PGM 500 and PGM 2000 modular guided bombs (Mirage 2000-9)
2× AS-30L laser-guided missile (Mirage 2000 D)
2× GBU-12 laser-guided bombs (Mirage 2000 D, Mirage 2000 C & Mirage 2000 N with
external laser designation)
1× GBU-16 laser-guided bomb (Mirage 2000 D, Mirage 2000 C & Mirage 2000 N with
external laser designation)
1× GBU-24 laser-guided bomb (Mirage 2000 D, Mirage 2000 C & Mirage 2000 N with
external laser designation)
2× GBU-49 laser-guided bombs (Mirage 2000 D)
1× ASMP-A tactical nuclear cruise missile (Mirage 2000 N)

Avionics

Thomson-CSF RDY (Radar Doppler Multi-target) radar (Mirage 2000-5)



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