Mirage 2000 familly
Introduced in operational service by the French Air Force in 1984, in its air defence variant (Mirage 2000 C and B), the Mirage 2000 is praised by all its operators. The quality and the safety of its flight control system, as well as its ease of maintenance raised it at the top of the world references in this field.
These qualities, associated to an extreme ruggedness led Dassault Aviation and its partners to proceed further with their aircraft weapon system, taking into account the emergence of new operational needs and the availability of new technologies.
In 1986, another version called Mirage 2000 N, came to operational service, to fulfill the nuclear missions. With the version called Mirage 2000 D both two versions answered a specific very low altitude penetration need of the French Air Force. Both featured twin-seat configuration and terrain-following radar.
The export version that followed was mainly based on the single-seat concept of the French Mirage 2000 C version. In order to broaden the operational spectrum of the aircraft, air-to-surface capabilities were added, often specific to customer needs.
Because it offers many advantages in terms of overall ownership costs and performance, the multirole concept has been retained for the evolution of the Mirage 2000 family.
In July 1998, during an international exercise in eastern Europe, several French Mirage 2000 have demonstrated their capability to operate from narrow, lightly prepared roads, without even having to use their braking chute.
Deployed in many operational theatres, the Mirage 2000 has become a world reference in terms of availability, maintenance and evolutivity. Its interoperability with NATO aircraft and its efficiency are combat proven.
Mirage 2000-5 Mk2
The most advanced version in the Mirage 2000 familly
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 is a new-generation advanced multirole combat aircraft, descending from the Mirage 2000 lineage, already proven under operational conditions with the air forces of eight countries.
Operational experience, especially within multinational forces, has shown the need for an increased fuel capacity and firepower. This requirement has been fulfilled with the introduction of the Mirage 2000-5 in operational service in 1997.
As new markets were conquered by the Mirage 2000-5, the users of the earlier versions became interested in the aircraft new capabilities.
New Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 aircraft complete existing fleets, and operational aircraft are modernised to gain the same operational capabilities.
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 incorporates new technologies and functionalities often derived from the experience gained in the RAFALE aircraft development.
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 is ideally suited to interception and air superiority missions.
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 is entirely suited to high-altitude interception operations at high supersonic speeds (Mach 2.2 at 50,000ft) thanks to its aerodynamic qualities and its engine, thus allowing it to counter high-performance hostiles. Thanks to a new external load configuration, with air-to-air missiles fitted on the side fuselage hardpoints, the new aircraft offers a much-enhanced firepower.
With these new characteristics, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 offers outstanding multirole capabilities and ranks among the best in its category, as demonstrated by its success on the export market.
The Mirage 2000-9, ordered by the United Arab Emirates, belongs to the family of the new Mirage 2000-5 Mk2, purchased by Greece.
System characteristics
Characteristics and performance of the system
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 is available in single and twin-seater versions. With the exception of the internal guns (ventral pod for the twin-seater), the twin-seater Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 keeps all the operational capabilities of the single-seater, including the Mach 2.2 capability.
The twin-seater, used for pilots' conversion and advanced training, can thus very easily be integrated into a combat deployment, and be operated by one or two crewmembers.
Built around a modular and highly adaptive architecture, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 system is based on high performance internal sensors such as:
- The RDY 2 radar manufactured by the Thales company is a latest-generation look-up / look-down long-range radar. Its ability to switch automatically in the detection, tracking and fire-control modes makes it unrivalled for air-to-air missions. Leading technical characteristics are as follows:
- In air-defence mission, the RDY 2 multimode radar can simultaneously detect up to 24 targets at all altitudes.
- It can track up to eight targets simultaneously and track four priority targets automatically in both the vertical and horizontal planes. It can evaluate the effects of beyond-visual-range attacks.
- In air-to-surface mission, it is capable to identify accurately fixed or mobile targets, and to designate them to the weapons.
- The RDY 2 radar satisfies the essential requirements of modern aerial combat, including firing against multiple targets. The radar employs three pulse repetition frequencies (PRF), with automatic monitoring frequencies for target detection purposes. The system is effective at all altitudes and ensures early detection, coupled with continuous target tracking of a very high standard.
- The RDY 2 radar is designed to use capabilities in the areas of reconnaissance based on high-resolution images.
- A laser gyro, GPS-coupled, inertial system featuring a high level of reliability, accuracy and a short alignment time (on ground alert, as well as in flight).
- A fully integrated internal countermeasures system capable of detecting, identifying and localising the most dangerous air-to-air and ground-to-air threats with the highest accuracy; this system includes multiple jamming and decoying capabilities. Thanks to interferometric sensors, the localisation accuracy provides the option of designating ground-to-air targets to weapons during a SEAD mission.
- A multifunction data link system.
To assist the pilot in the management of his mission, and to ease reconfigurations, the "Glass Cockpit" technology has been adapted for the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2.
The instrument panel includes 5 displays, among which 3 are color displays. The central screen is mainly dedicated to the tactical situation display. In between this screen and the Head-Up display, another screen -collimated to infinity - displays the main sensor image (radar or laser designation pod). This unique display layout allows the pilot to shift instantly from head-up flying to internal and external monitoring.
Among the other major evolutions of the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2, one can mention:
- A modular avionics concept.
- New larger lateral displays.
- New back-seat colour display repeater.
- Helmet-mounted sight.
- Automatic terrain-following system based on a digital terrain file.
- Digital map on a head-down display.
- An aircraft-to-missile datalink with an increased number of channels.
- A discrete multimode datalink system.
- The new Damocles laser designation pod featuring:
- 3-5µm infrared imagery,
- increased laser range.
- A Flir imager integrated into the Damocles pylon.
- On-board oxygen generation system.
- Combined air-to-air and air-to-ground configurations.
- New multi-channel recording system.
- Increased maximum take off weight (17.5 t).
- Very long range stand-off air-to-ground missiles.
- The introduction of the IR Mica missile.
Thanks to its modular avionics and to the flexibility of its man-machine interface, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 offers its users the highest flexibility and evolution capability.
Operational capabilities
Thanks to this equipment configuration (which remains open to further evolution), the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 demonstrates an extended range of operational capabilities.
The weapon system integrated maintenance contributes to the aircraft ease of operation and operational readiness. The principle of self-monitoring, associated to the equipment's high level of reliability, considerably reduces the number of expensive programmed maintenance operations. Thus, we can easily understand the success of distant and long duration Mirage 2000 deployments, in war time (i.e. Kosovo, Afghanistan, …).
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 retains the same airframe and engines as the Mirage 2000 and therefore features the same outstanding performance, ruggedness and service-life characteristics. It is characterised by a high mission-readiness, as demonstrated by several real war operation. Its ability to operate autonomously facilitates deployment with a minimum support.
Over 1,000,000 flying hours have been logged. Throughout this experience, it is important to note that, thanks to an exceptional electrical flight control system, not a single aircraft has been destroyed due to a loss of control.
Extended carrying capabilities
The Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 provides nine hard-points for external stores (five under its belly, four under its wings). These hard-points can be used to attach weapons, pods, launchers, jettisonable external tanks or pylons, or for carrying various combinations of external stores, up to 6.3 metric tons, including 'smart' weapons for a wide variety of operational requirements:
- The non-French weapons can be integrated more easily.
- The installation of specialised pods allows using the aircraft for dedicated missions such as electronic reconnaissance or in-flight buddy-buddy refuelling of other aircraft.
- The underwing store stations are thereby available to carry 1,700 or 2,000 litres fuel drop tanks, providing the aircraft with increased range.
- In air-to-ground mission, the future French AASM modular weapon will also allow simultaneous firing against multiple targets (even close together).
- The Scalp/Storm-Shadow missile is a long-range cruise missile with a conventional warhead, best employed for pre-planned strikes against hardened and protected stationary or moving targets. This missile will be used for long-range surgical strikes. It has an all-weather, day/night capability and will be used at low altitudes in order to give the launching aircraft maximum operational flexibility. Fire-and-forget type missile, it readily adapts to firing conditions and involves only a minimal pilot workload -- an invaluable attribute during stressful wartime conditions. This long-range pre-strategic cruise missile is also considered to be an economical weapon for use against heavily defended airfields. An outstanding feature is its ease of deployment from safe stand-off distances.
The Scalp is fully 'fire and forget', allowing the aircraft to depart from the firing zone immediately after launch. The missile then flies on, at low altitude, until it impacts the target. - In air-to-air missions, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 derives full advantage from the high firepower conferred by its load of 6 radar-guided and heat-seeking Mica missiles. It can fire 6 missiles simultaneously. An aircraft/missile data link feeds in-flight target designation data updates to the launched missile. If circumstances demand, a Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 pilot can also fire the 6 Mica missiles in the fire-and-forget mode, dispensing with the data link. The BVR and "discrete" MICA IR missile firing capability constitutes a threat that is very difficult to counter, even for the best ECM-protected opponent.
- The Mica missile can operate at ranges from a few hundred meters to 60 km. It is the only missile in the world capable of performing all air defence missions, from long-range interception to aerial combat and self-protection.
- The optional helmet-mounted sight, when associated with the IR MICA missile, considerably increases the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 efficiency in air combat. Like the Magic 2, the MICA IR missile features an autonomous search mode, which is perfectly integrated with the weapon system. In all mission phases, the pilot uses the IR homing heads of these missiles as IRST (Infra-Red Search and Track).
To date, 5 different air forces have chosen the new-generation Mirage 2000-5 under a program involving almost 200 aircraft.
About 600 Mirage 2000 are operational world-wide; they equip eight Air Forces and are considered by several more.
Aircraft characteristics
Dimensions :
Span..................................................................29.9 ft
Length...............................................................47 ft
Combat weight..................................................21,000 lbs.
Maximum thrust of the SNECMA M53-P2............98 kN
Two versions.....................................................single and twin-seater
Internal weapons (single-seater)......................2 * 30 mm guns
Store stations....................................................9
Maximum take off weight...................................38,500 lbs.
Fixed (removable) probe for in-flight refuelling..Buddy-Buddy capability
Maximum Mach number......................................Mach 2.2+
Approach speed.................................................140 Kts
Maximum climbing speed....................................60,000 ft/min
Authorised minimum speed in flight....................0 Kt
Time to climb to 36,000 ft/Mach1.8.....................5 min
Operational ceiling..............................................55,000 ft
Loiter time at 150 N.M. from the base at Mach 0.8/25,000 ft*: 2hr 40 min
Range / combat at M 0.8/15,000 ft**: 830 N.M.
Turn Around Time (Refuelling and 6 Air to Air reloading): 15 min
* 3 external tanks + 6 MICA.
** 6 Mica, external tanks dropped prior to combat.
Demonstrated availability in war time (Kosovo): 100% Oleh:© Dassault Aviation – F. Robineau
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