Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000
Photo from Jeremy Harkin's Military Aircraft Archive
The Mirage 2000 was conceived by the Dassault-Breguet company in the late seventies to replace the aging Mirage F.1Cs in French Air Force service. The 2000 is completely designed for very high altitude interception and air-to-air combat. The Mirage's low-bypass turbofan acts more like a turbojet than a fan. Therefore, the 2000's performance is severely hampered at lower altitudes, which is crazily enough where it spend most of its time. This is why it is surprising to me that the French would build a low level nuclear armed attack version called the Mirage 2000N, which uses terrain following radar to fly at tree-top level. This version was needed to replace the antique Mirage IVs in France's airborne nuclear deterrent role. Despite its drawbacks at low level the Mirage 2000 is certainly a frontline, and extremely capable fighter aircraft. The 2000 may look like the Mirage III of the fifties, but it is a totally new and state-of-the-art aircraft. Without the fly-by-wire and control configured vehicle avionics packed into the 2000 it would not easily make it off the ground. Like most modern fighters the Mirage is inherently unstable and must be assisted by computers in order to maintain controlled flight. The Mirage 2000 like most previous Mirages has been a great export success. In a private venture by Dassault in the late seventies a parallel program for a twin engined Mirage 2000 called (appropriately enough) the Mirage 4000 was developed, however, the 4000 failed to receive any orders. Despite their drawbacks Mirage 2000's are excellent, world class fighters and will serve alongside Dassault Rafales well into the next century.
Specifications
(Data for Mirage 2000C1)
Origin: Dassault-Breguet Aviation, France
Type: High Altitude Fighter Interceptor
Crew: C1 1; N 2; B 2
Powerplant: One SNECMA M53-5 low bypass afterburning turbofan (like a turbojet) delivering 9 000 kg (19 840 lbs) of thrust
Dimensions
Span: 9 m (29' 6")
Height: 5.3 m (17' 6")
Length: 14.35 m (47' 1")
Maximum Loaded Weight: 16 500 kg (36 375 lbs)
Performance
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2 (2 124 kph) (1 320 mph)
Sea Level Speed: 1 110 kph (690 mph)
Climb Rate:
Range (Two tanks): 1 800 km (1 118 miles)
Service Ceiling:
Armament
Two DEFA 30 mm 5-53 cannons & two Matra 550 Magic dogfight AAMs & Two Matra Super 530 Long Range Radar Guided AAMs. (2000N) One ASMP 150 kt cruise missile range: 100 km (62 miles)
First Flight: March 10, 1978
User(s): France, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Greece, India, Peru
Production:For France by 1988: 139 C1 Fighteras; 85 2000N Strike; 19 2000B Trainers
Unit Cost:
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