The Mirage 2000 is very similar to the Mirage III/5 and 50, though it is not a variant of the Mirage III/5 or 50 but an entirely new aircraft with advanced interceptor controls. In its secondary ground-attack role, the Mirage 2000 carries laser guided missiles rockets and bombs. There is a two-seat version of this aircraft, the 2000N (Penetration) which has nuclear standoff capability.
The wings are low-mounted delta with clipped tips. There is one turbofan engine mounted in the fuselage. There are semicircular air intakes alongside the fuselage forward of the wings. There is a large, single exhaust which protrudes past the tail. The fuselage is tube-shaped with a pointed nose and a bubble canopy. There are no tail flats. The fin is swept-back and tapered with a clipped tip.
The Mirage 2000-5 is a multi-role single-seater or two seater fighter. It differs from its predecessors mainly in its avionics; its new multiple target air-to-ground and air-to-air firing procedures linked to the use of RDY radar and its new visualization and control system. As a multi-role combat aircraft with versatile air-to-air mission capabilities, the Mirage 2000-5 integrates the state-of-the-art of the know-how based on the experience gained from the previous Mirage 2000 versions (Mirage 2000 DA, Mirage 2000 E, Mirage 2000 D) and is designed for the most-advanced armaments.The Mirage 2000 D, derived from the Mirage 2000N operated by the French Air Force, is a two-seater air-to-ground attack aircraft. The Mirage 2000D tactical penetration two-seater fighter carries air-to-ground high precision weapons which can be fired at a safe distance, by day or by night. Its navigation and attack system enable it to fly in any weather conditions, hugging the terrain at a very low altitude. Beyond the nuclear-weapons capabilities adopted for the Mirage 2000 N, the Mirage 2000 D armament includes laser-guided weapons, low-drag bombs, and the aircraft can also carry the APACHE cruise missile. The Mirage 2000 D geometrical characteristics and the main performance data are the same as those of the Mirage 2000-5.
Specifications | |
Countries of Origin | France |
Builder team : | Dassault Aviation, SNECMA, Thomson-CSF |
First flight : |
March, 1978 [Mirage 2000C] February, 1991 [Mirage 2000D] |
In-service in the French Air Force : |
Summer 1983 [Mirage 2000C] April, 1993 [Mirage 2000D] |
Similar Aircraft | |
Crew | |
Role | Interceptor [Mirage 2000C] All weather night and day missions such as Battlefield Air Interdiction (BAI) [Mirage 2000D] |
Major operational capabilities : | [Mirage 2000D] Automated terrain following at very high speed and very low altitude All-weather night and day bombing capability High precision all weather day/night bombing with Thomson-CSF PDL-CT |
Length | 50 ft, 3 in (14.36 m) |
Span | 29 ft, 5 in (9.13 m) |
Height | 5.30 meters |
Empty Weight | 7,600 kg [Mirage 2000C] |
Maximum Weight | 16,500 kg |
Maximal armament weight : |
5,900 kg [Mirage 2000C] 6,200 kg (9 store stations) [Mirage 2000D] |
Power plant / Thrust : | SNECMA M 53 P2 jet engine / 9.7 t with afterburner |
Maximum Speed | Mach 1,2 [low altitude] Mach 2,2 [high altitude] |
Rate of Climb | 17,000 m/min |
Ceiling | Above 50,000 ft / 16,500 m |
Combat Radius | 4 250-kg bombs 2 1,700-liter drop tanks 2 1,700-liter + 1 1,300-liter drop tanks |
In-Flight Refueling | Yes |
Fuel capacity : | [Mirage 2000C] 3,950 l internal / 8,000 l maximal / in-flight refuelling
[Mirage 2000D] |
Sensors | RDI radar (interceptor), RWR, Advanced bombsight |
Drop Tanks | 1700 L drop tank 1358 kg of fuel for 188 nm of
range 1300 L drop tank 1038 kg of fuel for 144 nm of range |
Armament |
2 AM.39 Exocet, 1 1300 L drop Tank (855 nm) 1 1300 L drop tank, 2 ARMAT, 2 R.550 Magic (885 nm) 1 1300 L drop tank, 2R.500 Magic, 2 R.530D (885 nm) 4 Belouga, 2 1700 L drop tank, 2 R.550 Magic (1094 nm) 18 EU2 250 kg bombs (756 nm) |
Special equipment : | [Mirage 2000C] Thomson-CSF RDI radar (pulse doppler), look down-shoot down capacity, integrated electronic counter-measures, fly-by-wire, automatic pilot, inertial guidance system
[Mirage 2000D] |
NATO interoperability : | Protected radiocommunications, identification friend or foe, in-flight refuelling by NATO aircraft, armament and ammunitions in accordance with NATO standards |
Number of units produced : | 526 (all types of Mirage 2000 included) |
French Air Force inventory : |
80 aircraft in 4 squadrons [Mirage 2000C] 60 aircraft in 3 squadrons [Mirage 2000C] |
User Countries (all types of Mirage 2000 included) |
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VRML 3-D Model |
Mirage 2000 VRML by Soji Yamakawa |