M2000
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a multirole, single-engine, delta wing, fourth-generation jet fighter designed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
Work on what would become the Mirage 2000 originated with the "Delta 1000" project launched in 1972. In contrast to other projects that Dassault had recently worked on, such as the Anglo-French Variable Geometry (AFVG) and Mirage G, the Delta 1000 was an interceptor first and a strike aircraft second while retaining a more affordable single engine configuration. In response to feedback from the French Air Force (Armée de l'air), which sought a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (Armée de l'air), the Delta 2000 proposal was redesigned into the Mirage 2000, for which the service issued requirements that matched Dassault's performance estimates in March 1976. On 10 March 1978, only 27 months after the programme was cleared to proceed, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight, during which the aircraft went supersonic. A total of three prototypes and one single-seat demonstrator were produced for the flight test programme. On 20 November 1982, the first production Mirage 2000C (C for chasseur, "fighter") made its first flight; deliveries commenced during the following year.
Beyond the initial fighter model, the Mirage 2000 was adapted into a multirole aircraft comprising several distinct variants. At the behest of the Armée de l'air, it was developed into the Mirage 2000N and 2000D, the former being tasked with carrying France's airborne nuclear deterrent and the latter being a dedicated ground-attack platform. During the late 1980s, development of the improved Mirage 2000-5 was started, which became the basis of multiple export variants. The largest operator of the type is the French Air and Space Force, followed by the United Arab Emirates Air Force, the Republic of China Air Force, and the Indian Air Force. On 23 November 2007, the final Mirage 2000 produced was delivered to the Hellenic Air Force, after which the assembly line was shuttered. In excess of 600 aircraft were built; the Mirage 2000 has been in service with ten nations as of 2026.
During its service life, the Mirage 2000 has been involved in live combat on multiple occasions. French Mirage 2000s were used during the Gulf War, the Bosnian War, the Kosovo War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Syrian Civil War; the type scored the first aerial kills by any French aircraft since the Second World War. Indian Mirages 2000s were active during the Kargil War, the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff, the 2020 China–India skirmishes and the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict. UAE Mirage 2000s flew in the Gulf War and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. The Peruvian Air Force deployed their Mirages 2000s during the Cenepa War. The Ukrainian Air Force has flown combat missions using the type during the Russo-Ukrainian war. In the 2000s, the Mirage 2000 was succeeded as the principal frontline fighter of the French Air and Space Force by the newer Dassault Rafale.
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