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How Many Mirage-2000 Fighter Jets Does India Have?
How Many Mirage-2000 Fighter Jets Does India Have?
Sputnik India
The Mirage-2000 is among the two French-built military aircraft currently in use in the Indian Air Force (IAF), with Rafale being the other.
2023-02-27T17:10+0530
2023-02-27T17:10+0530
2023-02-27T17:10+0530
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The Mirage-2000 is among the two French-built military aircraft currently in use in the Indian Air Force (IAF), with the Rafale being the other.Developed by Dassault Aviation, the Mirage-2000 is one of the most potent fighter jets in the IAF fleet. The French weapons major also manufactures the IAF's latest multi-role fighter Rafale after India and France inked an $8.8 billion contract for 36 such aircraft in 2016.How Many Mirage-2000 Planes Does IAF Operate?India ordered its first batch of 40 Mirage-2000 planes in 1982 before they were inducted into service in 1986.A subsequent contract for nine more aircraft was signed in 1986 before they were delivered to India's flying force in the 1990s. While five of these jets were handed to the IAF in 1990, two each were delivered in 1992 and 1994.Ten Mirage-2000s, with improved avionics and an array of other features, were also bought by the Indian government in 2004.Kargil War and Balakot AirstrikesThe Mirage 2000 proved to be the game-changer in the 1999 Kargil war, an armed conflict between India and Pakistan, from May to July 1999.The military confrontation between India and Pakistan started off when alleged Pakistani intruders crossed over to the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil sector of Indian-administered Kashmir. The LoC serves as the de-facto border between the two countries.During the operation in Kargil, the Mirage-2000 was extensively used after the IAF was tasked to help soldiers on the ground.Having flown over 500 sorties, besides taking part in nearly 250 strike missions, the Indian Air Force used the fighter jet to drop high-precision bombs (HPBs) on enemy targets. Notably, it was the first time the IAF used HPBs during an armed conflict against an adversary.More recently, in 2019, the Mirage-2000 was used to launch airstrikes on alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan's Balakot area. The strikes were carried out following the killing of 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama area in a suicide bombing attack on February 14 that year. The Indian security agencies blamed Pakistan-based militants for the terrorist attack.India Upgrading Mirage-2000Since their induction in the IAF in the 1980s, the Mirage-2000s has undergone a series of upgrades, including advanced navigation systems, glass cockpits, and new radars. India's inventory of over 50 Mirage-2000s is currently undergoing a $2.5 billion upgrade plan signed between Dassault Aviation and IAF in 2011.In 2021, another deal to acquire phased-out Mirage-2000 jets from a French private firm was inked to be used as spares.The plane, however, is set to be phased out from active service in 2031-32.
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How Many Mirage-2000 Fighter Jets Does India Have?
Five Indian Mirage-2000 warplanes, two C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, and a crew of 145 IAF personnel were dispatched to participate in the 'Cobra Warrior' military exercises at the Waddington Air Force Base, alongside Britain's Royal Airforce.
The Mirage-2000 is among the two French-built military aircraft currently in use in the
Indian Air Force (IAF), with the Rafale being the other.
Developed by Dassault Aviation, the Mirage-2000 is one of the most potent fighter jets in the IAF fleet. The French weapons major also manufactures the IAF's latest multi-role fighter Rafale after India and France inked an $8.8 billion contract for 36 such aircraft in 2016.
How Many Mirage-2000 Planes Does IAF Operate?
India ordered its first batch of 40 Mirage-2000 planes in 1982 before they were inducted into service in 1986.
A subsequent contract for nine more aircraft was signed in 1986 before they were delivered to India's flying force in the 1990s. While five of these jets were handed to the IAF in 1990, two each were delivered in 1992 and 1994.
Ten Mirage-2000s, with improved avionics and an array of other features, were also bought by the Indian government in 2004.
Kargil War and Balakot Airstrikes
The Mirage 2000 proved to be the game-changer in the 1999 Kargil war, an armed conflict between India and Pakistan, from May to July 1999.
The military confrontation between India and Pakistan started off when alleged Pakistani intruders crossed over to the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil sector of Indian-administered Kashmir. The LoC serves as the de-facto border between the two countries.
During the operation in Kargil, the Mirage-2000 was extensively used after the IAF was tasked to help soldiers on the ground.
Having flown over 500 sorties, besides taking part in nearly 250 strike missions, the Indian Air Force used the fighter jet to drop high-precision bombs (HPBs) on enemy targets. Notably, it was the first time the IAF used HPBs during an armed conflict against an adversary.
"LGB-equipped Mirage 2000 was a game changer in the Kargil War and made a big difference for India," IAF Group Captain Anupam Banerjee, who was involved in the IAF's bombardment of enemy bunkers, told local media in 2019, the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war.
More recently, in 2019, the Mirage-2000 was used to launch airstrikes on alleged terrorist camps in Pakistan's Balakot area. The strikes were carried out following the killing of 40 Indian paramilitary troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama area in a suicide bombing attack on February 14 that year. The Indian security agencies blamed Pakistan-based militants for the terrorist attack.
India Upgrading Mirage-2000
Since their induction in the IAF in the 1980s, the Mirage-2000s has undergone a series of upgrades, including advanced navigation systems, glass cockpits, and new radars. India's inventory of over 50 Mirage-2000s is currently undergoing a $2.5 billion upgrade plan signed between Dassault Aviation and IAF in 2011.
In 2021, another deal to acquire phased-out Mirage-2000 jets from a French private firm was inked to be used as spares.
The plane, however, is set to be phased out from active service in 2031-32.
