Dassault Mirage 2000 demonstration flight in Russia 2004'.The Mirage 2000 was developed by Dassault-Breguet for the Armée de l'Air as an alternative to the swing-wing Avion de Combat Futur. After the latter was cancelled in 1975 due to its growing cost and complexity, Dassault offered the Mirage 2000 as an alternative. Development of this aircraft would also give the company a competitor to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, which had defeated the Dassault Mirage F1 in a contest for a new fighter for the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway.The prototype made its first flight in March 10, 1978 with test pilot Jean Coreau at the controls. The first production example flew in November 20, 1982 and the aircraft went into operational service in 1984.Using the concept of the delta wing interceptor seen on the Dassault Mirage III, Dassault built a new design but still using a delta wing. This configuration is not ideal with regard to maneuverability, low-altitude flight, and distance required for take-off and landing, but has advantages in high-speed flight characteristics, simplicity of construction, low radar signature and internal volume.# Low-set thin delta wing with cambered section, 58 degrees leading-edge sweep and moderately blended root; area-ruled; capable of carrying four air-to-air missiles.
# The aircraft's center of lift was moved in front of its center of gravity, giving the fighter a degree of instability that enhances maneuverability.
# A runway arresting hook or fairing for a brake parachute can be fitted under the tail. The landing roll was reduced by robust carbon brakes. The backward-retracting, steerable nose gear features dual wheels, while the main gear features single wheels and retracts inward into the wings.
# An airbrake is fitted on top of each wing in an arrangement very similar to that of the Mirage III. A noticeably taller tailfin allows the pilot to retain control at higher angles of attack, assisted by small strakes mounted along each air intake.
# First fighter jet with negative static stability. * French Mirage 2000s saw operational use during the Gulf War although little combat action. UAE Mirages also flew in the Gulf War, but saw little or no action.
* French Mirage 2000s were prominent participants in U.N. and NATO air operations over the former Yugoslavia, with one aircraft shot down over Bosnia by a heat-seeking surface-to-air missile in 1996, prompting efforts to obtain improved defensive systems.
* AdA Mirage 2000Ds served in the intervention in Afghanistan in 2001-2002, operating in close conjunction with international forces and performing precision attacks with LGBs.
India has assigned the nuclear strike role to their Mirage 2000s. In 1999 when the Kargil conflict broke out, as all the Russian aircraft in the IAF (MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27) were having problems operating at high altitudes or were vulnerable to enemy MANPADs, the Mirage 2000 proved ideal for high altitude bombing.The Mirage 2000 performed well during the whole conflict, even though the Mirages supplied to India had limited air interdiction capability and had to be heavily modified to drop dumb and laser-guided bombs.The two Mirage squadrons flew a total of 515 sorties, and in 240 strike missions dropped 55,000 kg of ordnance.Easy maintenance and a very high sortie rate (compared to the Russian fighters in service with the IAF) made the Mirage 2000 the most efficient fighter of the Indian Air Force in the conflict.
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