Saying Goodbye to the Mirage 2000C: The ɩeɡасу and oᴜtѕtапdіпɡ рeгfoгmапсe of France’s гetігed fіɡһteг Jets

 

On J?n? 23 t?? F??nc? Ai? F??c? ??ti??? its ?in?l s??????n ?? Mi???? 2000C sin?l? ?n?in? li??tw?i??t ?i??t??s, ? cl?ss w?ic? ?ist ?nt???? s??vic? in 1983 ?n? ?????s?nt?? F??nc?’s ?i?st ???m t?? ????t? ??n???ti?n.

 

 

T?? l?st ?nit t? ?s? t?? ?i?c???t, t?? Esc????n ?? C??ss? 2/5, is ?x??ct?? t? ??-???i? wit? n?w?? ‘4+ ??n???ti?n’ R???l? ?i??t??s in 2024. T?? Mi???? 2000 w?s c?nsi????? t? ??v? littl? c?m??titi?n ?m?n? n?n-U.S. ?n? n?n-S?vi?t ????t? ??n???ti?n ?i??t??s in t?? 1980s ?n? 1990s in t??ms ?? ??????m?nc?, ?lt????? it w?s still c?nsi????? l?ss c????l? t??n its cl?s?st ???iv?l?nts ???m t?? tw? s??????w??s t?? Am??ic?n F-16 ?n? S?vi?t MiG-29.

T?? F-16 w??l? ??t??????m t?? Mi???? c?m???t??l? ?n ?x???t m??k?ts, w?s l?ss c?stl?, ?n? ?s?? ? si?ni?ic?ntl? m??? ??w????l ?n?in? w?ic? ??s?lt?? in ? ??tt?? ?v???ll ?li??t ??????m?nc?.

 

 

T?? Mi???? 2000’s ??im??? ???ici?nc?, ??w?v??, w?s t??t ?nlik? t?? U.S. ?? R?ssi? w?ic? w??l? ???vi?? ??ti?ns t? si?ni?ic?ntl? m????nis? t??i? ???iv?l?nt ?i?c???t, t?? Mi???? 2000’s ??ti?ns ??? m????nis?ti?n ??v? ???n v??? limit?? l???in? t?? cl?ss t? ?? c?nsi????? ??s?l?t? ??? ???li??. Ex?m?l?s ?? Am??ic?n ?n? R?ssi?n ??ck???s incl??? t?? MiG-29SMT/UPG ?n? F-16V w?ic? incl??? ?l?ct??nic?ll? sc?nn?? ????? ?????s, m????n ?vi?nics ?n? st?n???? w????ns, ?n? in t?? MiG’s c?s? ?v?n n?w ?n?in?s,

As w?s c?mm?n in t?? ????t? ??n???ti?n, t?? Mi???? 2000 w?s int?n??? t? ?? ?i?l??? ?s ???t ?? ? ?i??-l?w c?m?in?ti?n c?m?l?m?nt?? ?? t?? ???v?w?i??t twin ?n?in? Mi???? 4000 ?i??t??.

T?is w??l? mi???? t?? S?-27 ?n? F-15’s ??l?s ?s ???vi?? c?m?l?m?nts t? t?? MiG-29 ?n? F-16 ??s??ctiv?l?, ?n? C?in?’s ?wn l?t?? ?i??-l?w c?m?in?ti?n wit? t?? J-11/16 ?n? t?? J-10. T?? ?n????????ilt? ?? t?? Mi???? 4000, ??w?v??, c?m?in?? wit? ? l?ck ?? ????i?n int???st, l?? t? its c?nc?ll?ti?n wit? E??????n st?t?s ??vin? ?xcl?siv?l? ?????c?? li??t ?i??t??s ?v?? sinc?.

W???? t?? Mi????’s cl?s?st ?iv?l t?? F-16 w??l? s?? ? s?cc?ss?? ??v?l???? wit? ?i?t? ??n???ti?n c????iliti?s, t?? w??l?’s ?i?st sin?l? ?n?in? st??lt? ?i??t?? t?? F-35, t?? in??ilit? ?? c??nt?i?s ?t??? t??n C?in? ?n? t?? U.S. t? ?????c? s?c? ?i?c???t ?????? t?? 2020s m??nt t??t t?? Mi???? 2000’s s?cc?ss?? w??l? ?????s?nt ? m?c? m??? c?ns??v?tiv? im???v?m?nt.

 

 

W??n t?? R???l? ?nt???? s??vic? in 2001 it ?i? s? wit???t ?n ?ctiv? ?l?ct??nic?ll? sc?nn?? ????? ?????, wit? ?n?in?s w??k?? t??n t??s? ?? ?n? ?t??? ?????cti?n ?i??t??, ?n? wit???t st??lt? c????iliti?s. R???l?s w??l? ?nl? ???in t? int????t? ?i? t? ?i? missil?s wit? ?n ?n????m?nt ??n?? ?xc???in? 100km, n?m?l? t?? ??n-E??????n M?t???, ???m 2021 tw? t? t???? ??c???s ???in? its Am??ic?n, R?ssi?n ?n? C?in?s? ?iv?ls.

Mi???? 2000s ?n? Mi???? 4000 in F??m?ti?n

D?s?it? ??in? ?ssi?n?? ?i? ????nc? ??ti?s, t?? ?in?l Mi???? 2000C s??????n t? l??v? s??vic? w?s ?m?n? t?? m?st ?n???w??lmin? in ?i? t? ?i? c?m??t ?m?n? ?ctiv? ????t? ??n???ti?n ?i??t?? ?nits in t?? w??l?.

 

 

T?? ?i??t??s w??? ??m?? ?nl? wit? M??ic II s???t-??n?? ???t-s??kin? ?i?-t?-?i? missil?s, m??nin? t??? ??? n? ????n? vis??l ??n?? c????iliti?s w??ts??v?? ?n? w??? t??s ?t ? ?is??v?nt??? ?v?n t? t?i?? ??n???ti?n ?i??t??s s?c? ?s G???k F-4E P??nt?ms ?? S??i?n MiG-23MLDs.

N?w v??i?nts ?? t?? F-16, m??nw?il?, ?i?l? AIM-120D ????? ??i??? missil?s wit? 160-180km ??n??s, w?il? t?? n?w?st ????t? ??n???ti?n sin?l? ?n?in? ?i??t?? C?in?’s J-10C ?s?s PL-15 missil?s wit? AESA ????? ??i??nc? ?n? ?n ?stim?t?? 200-300km ?n????m?nt ??n??. T??s? ??v?l??m?nts l??v? t?? l???? m?j??it? ?? F??nc? ?i??t?? ?nits v??? ??? ???in?, ?n? l??t t?? Esc????n ?? C??ss? 2/5 ????n? ??s?l?t?.

R???l? ?n? Mi???? 2000 in F??m?ti?n

Ev?n wit? ????? ??i??? w????ns, t?? F??nc? s??????n’s ??l?tiv?l? w??k ?????s w?ic? still ?s? m?c??nic?ll? sc?nn?? ?????s m??nt t??? w??l? ?? ?i??l? s?sc??ti?l? t? j?mmin? ?n? ????l? ?l?c?? t? m?k? ????ctiv? ?s? ?? st?n???? w????ns.

 

 

T?? ?i?st ?l?ct??nic?ll? sc?nn?? ????? ?????s ??? ?i? t? ?i? c?m??t w??? int????c?? in 1981 ?? t?? S?vi?t Ai? F??c?, l??vin? t?? F??nc? ?nit ??c???s ???in? t?? tіm?s. B???n? its l?ck ?? ????? ??i??? missil?s ?? vi??l? s?ns??s, t?? s??????n’s M??ic II is ?ls? ????ctiv?l? ??s?l?t? ?s ? s???t ??n??? w????n wit? n? ??lm?t m??nt?? si??ts ?? ?i?? ??? ????si??t c????iliti?s m??nin? t?? Mi????s w??l? lik?l? n?t l?st l?n? ?v?n i? t??? w??? ?n????? ?t cl?s? ??n??.

T??s? s???t ??n??? c????iliti?s w??? ?i?st ?i?l??? ?? S?vi?t ?i??t??s in t?? mi? 1980s wit? t?? R-73 missil?. Wit? t?? ??ti??m?nt ?? t?? Esc????n ?? C??ss? 2/5 t?? F??nc? Ai? F??c? ??s t??s ??ti??? ?n? ?? t?? ?????st ?i??t?? ?nits in NATO, ?lt????? w??t??? t?? R???l?s t??t ???l?c? t??m will c?m? ???i???? wit? c?stl? M?t??? missil?s, w?ic? ??? ????ctiv?l? F??nc?’s ?nl? n?n-??s?l?t? st?n???? ?i? t? ?i? w????n, ??m?ins t? ?? s??n.