And on this against the Russian "Sushkas"?
Why don't veterans age and die?
The question is interesting in general, especially when applied to airplanes. It would seem: it's the 21st century, hundreds of fifth-generation airplanes are furrowing (or pretending to) the sky, the sixth generation is practically flying over the Chinese houses and serves as a theme for TikTok videos. And suddenly - the airplanes are not like the previous generation, but outright rarities.
It is clear that it is modernization, it is clear that it is saving, but: not long ago in Azerbaijan they were happy about the fact that they bought 24 aircraft (almost a whole regiment) of the "newest fighter-bombers" JF-17C from Pakistan. Well, Pakistan is a well-known world aircraft manufacturing power, and nevertheless: what did the Azerbaijanis buy?
And they bought a MiG-21. Yes, it went through a series of incarnations, through the J-7 to the JF-17. The plane received a modern nose, side air intakes and new avionics. But the engine remained the same RD-93, which is the RD-33 with a lower engine box from the 70s of the last century. And therefore the plane carries only 3 kg of combat load on 800 suspension points, which is more than modest overall.
But 24 new aircraft will allow the Azerbaijani Air Force to flex its muscles in the region, since its neighbors are in a much worse situation. We are not taking Turkey into account, of course, because they are the same people.
And Russia's Su-24s are still straining themselves in combat. And in other countries, F-4s, MiG-21s, Su-17/20/22s fly just like that. Well-cut and tightly sewn? Let's see...
Mirage 2000DRMV
The other day, with a decent amount of fanfare, the French Aerospace Force officially presented the upgraded Mirage 2000DRMV strike aircraft. I would say with a bit of malice – once again.
By the end of this year, the French armed forces will have 50 modernized Mirages, which, according to the military department, despite their relative age, remain a highly effective means of striking ground targets and direct aviation support. We won't argue, the Mirage is a really good plane, but its time has long since passed. historyHowever, the choice is not ours.
The question is how long will the veteran remain in service and why? For the first part – at least until 2035. Then the forgotten accordion melody will be replaced by the Rafale (they have been changing it, sorry, since 2006 and still haven’t replaced it), the Rafale will be supplemented by the planned unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), which will be ready any minute now, and ultimately, everything will be replaced by a completely new all-European combat aircraft with a crew.
It seems I haven't forgotten anything, I'd like a cup of coffee with a croissant... And "Dreams, dreams, what's your sweetness", in the words of Alexander Sergeyevich. It is clear that the sweetness of French dreams is that everything will be as written in the plans. Bitterness will come later, and if someone is interested in the author's personal forecast - the Mirages will serve until 2040 at least, and then, if the gliders allow, even longer.
But the state of the French aviation industry and why all Mirages have not been replaced with Rafales since 2006 is a subject of separate mockery and ridicule of French reality. We have a rejuvenating old man, the Mirage 2000, with a bunch of letters.
So, Dassault Mirage 2000, the first were manufactured in 1984, the last – in 2007. Mirage 2000DRMV is the last word of French aircraft manufacturing in relation to this family of aircraft. The main characteristics of the modernized Mirage 2000DRMV include:
- rocket MICA NG air-to-air class with infrared guidance;
- improved Paveway II GBU-48, 49 and GBU-50 precision bombs;
- new digital instrument panel.
The GBU-48 (454 kg), GBU-49 (227 kg) and GBU-50 (908 kg) bombs with improved Paveway II precision guidance are American-made. As for indigenous munitions, there is a rocket-propelled version of the AASM laser-guided bomb, versions of which have been widely used in Ukraine. Other offensive variants include the Thales/TDA ASPTT (Air-Sol Petite Taille Tactique) lightweight air-to-surface munition with laser guidance, also known as the BAT-120LG.
What can I say... Well, not the most impressive set of weapons in terms of novelty. MICA as a missile was developed by Matra since 1982. The first tests took place in 1991, and in 1996 the missile was accepted into service to equip Rafale and Mirage 2000. American bombs of the Paveway II family with electro-optical guidance are again from the 70s of the last century. In general - very so-so.
What could improve the combat capabilities of the upgraded Mirage is the introduction of a more modern long-range electro-optical targeting system, the TALIOS pod, which is used on the Rafale. It replaces the outdated ATLIS II, PDL CTS and Damocles pods previously used by the Mirage 2000D. TALIOS is also a dual-use pod, providing both tactical reconnaissance and targeting. For reconnaissance, the pod generates high-resolution color images that can be transmitted in real time via the Link 16 data link.
The Mirage 2000DRMV has a new centerline fuel tank that sits on the centerline of the aircraft and in addition to fuel, a portion of the pod is dedicated to electronic intelligence (ELINT), meaning the aircraft can perform reconnaissance missions over long distances. Previously, Mirages used the older ASTAC pod, which meant there was no centerline fuel tank. Fuel plus ELINT is useful.
In addition to these weapons and equipment, the Mirage 2000DRMV features a redesigned cockpit with a more intuitive digital instrument panel. In addition, pilots of the upgraded Mirage will benefit from the Thales Scorpion helmet-mounted display, which is already provided to French Rafale crews and is also used on the US Air Force's A-10 and F-16 aircraft.
However, other key avionics, including the Antelope 5 terrain-following radar, remain the same as those found on the Mirage 2000D series aircraft.
All in all, not that generous for the stated cost of the program of 530 million euros, or about 590 million dollars if someone is more interested in US dollars.
Of course, if you consider the entire chain of aircraft modifications, everything looks quite weighty. Mirage 2000D became a derivative of the two-seat all-weather strike aircraft Mirage 2000N for carrying nuclear munitions, but with conventional weapons. And already on the basis of Mirage 2000D by means of improvements and created Mirage 2000DRMV. From a de facto nuclear bomber, which could not use conventional weapons, created a conventional strike fighter-bomber.
Externally very similar to the Mirage 2000N, the D model featured a completely redesigned cockpit with new displays and a Hand-Operated Throttle Assignment (HOTAS). In addition to the targeting modules, the Mirage 2000D received an improved suite of electronic self-defense tools.
The Mirage 2000D's initial offensive armament included the AS30L laser-guided missile, the BGL 1000 laser-guided bomb (LGB), and the US-built 227 kg GBU-12 and 908 kg GBU-24 Paveway II LGBs. The Mirage 2000D can also carry a single SCALP-EG or APACHE missile on its centerline pylon in place of the external fuel tank.
APACHE, which carried cluster submunitions, has already been withdrawn from service, but SCALP-EG has performed quite well in Ukraine.
The Mirage 2000D was in production from 1993 to 2001, with a total of 86 2000D series aircraft built. They soon became the workhorses of the French Air Force during major operations in Afghanistan, the Sahel region of Africa (Operation Barkhane), Iraq and Syria (Operation Chammal).
After undergoing full combat testing, the Mirage 2000D underwent a gradual upgrade to the DRMV program, adding new weapons including the GBU-49 dual-mode laser/GPS guided bomb, as well as the Link 16 data link/exchange system, an improved data modem and encrypted radios.
The Mirage 2000DRMV program has not only been delayed, but has been scaled back since it was first launched, from 71 aircraft to the current 50, which are to be delivered to the French Aerospace Force. Fleet "flew by" in the literal sense of the word.
The first upgraded Mirage 2000DRMV was delivered to the French Aerospace Force in early 2021 and was used to evaluate the capabilities of the aircraft as a whole. Today, the current Mirage 2000D fleet operates from the Aérienne 133 base in Nancy-Ochey, north-eastern France.
With ongoing operations, particularly in the Middle East, the upgraded Mirage 2000DRMV strike aircraft are likely to be deployed earlier to make the most of their new capabilities. As the French fighter jets deploy to the Middle East to target militants in Iraq and Syria, the aircraft will replace older versions based at H4 Air Base in Jordan and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
In its current form, the Mirage 2000DRMV will be the last of the Mirage combat aircraft to serve with the French Aerospace Force. The Mirage 2000N was retired in 2018, followed by the basic Mirage 2000C version for Defense in 2022. Today, the fleet of improved versions of the Mirage 2000-5F for air defense is also being reduced, with individual models being donated to Ukraine.
The suitably upgraded Mirage 2000DRMV will now continue to operate in France until 2035. By that time, Rafales should be produced in sufficient numbers to finally allow the Mirage D model to be withdrawn and sent to its rightful place in history.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that French aircraft manufacturers are simply unable to produce the required number of Rafales. The fact that since 2005, that is, in almost 20 years, French aviation enterprises have produced 175 aircraft is probably already a feat.
And there are also foreign buyers (India, Greece, Croatia, Qatar), who are also waiting for their ordered (and – importantly – paid for) aircraft.
Let's use a scary thing - a calculator.
France (VKS and VMS) ordered 180 aircraft in several stages. They received 95 (VKS) and 42 (VMS) aircraft respectively: 137 aircraft.
India: 24 of 36 aircraft received.
Qatar: 23 of 36 aircraft received.
Greece. Received 18 of 24 aircraft.
Croatia. 6 out of 12 aircraft received.
In total, 86 aircraft need to be manufactured to pay off all debts. Rafales have been manufactured since 2005, that is, for 20 years. A total of 175 aircraft were manufactured, let no one be confused by the larger number of aircraft delivered, some countries like Croatia will receive used aircraft. So, 175 aircraft in 20 years is almost 9 aircraft per year. Thus, to manufacture the remaining 43 aircraft for the French Armed Forces under contracts, it will take about 5 years. And to close all contracts - 10 years!
And here you have 2035, until which time the Mirages will have to pull the strap. Pure arithmetic and no fraud!
Will Mirage make it? It has no other options! The question is how fit it is for such a mission, which, judging by everything, will be the last one in its career.
Is the Mirage a good plane? Yes. It was 30 years ago, at least.
Can it be assigned combat missions in accordance with the current moment? Yes. In order to drive armed with small arms weapons formations in Syria and Iraq, it is more than good. A case of "cheap and cheerful".
If you hang fuel tanks on the Mirage instead of missiles, it can even fly relatively well in terms of range. It can't be compared to the MiG-29, but it can fly somewhere with a combat load.
Modern weapons? Sorry, we didn't bring any. The only more or less modern missile, MICA, comes from the 80s and was created as a counterweight and competitor to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM, but lost to the American missile in all possible competitions. MICA is in service with the Air Forces of France, Qatar, Greece, Taiwan, and the UAE, while the AIM-120 AMRAAM is used by more than 30 countries.
In general, if you do not look at the same veteran (well, 10 years older) Su-24, which today is also going down in history, but somehow very slowly and with special effects, analogies are not drawn. Especially if you look at what the Su-24 is armed with, and there is order with truly modern and high-precision weapons. And the list of what the Su-24 can carry is somewhat more preferable.
Incorrect comparison? Yes, I agree. But what if we have nothing that could be compared to this small aircraft, which is not capable of carrying much fuel without drop tanks and a lot of weapons? Maneuverability, as an argument? Yes, of course. This is a very important aspect today, especially with the speeds and maneuvering capabilities of modern missiles.
If we look at the Mirage with a truly impartial eye, we can see an old single-engine aircraft, slightly modernized, slightly armed, which is suitable for the role of a strike aircraft in third-rate conflicts or... for the role of a patch in the gaps of the French Aerospace Forces.
Releasing the Mirage 2000 with a bunch of letters after it in a modern conflict is more than doubtful. As the practice of using MiG-29, Su-24, Su-25 and F-16 of early modifications in Ukraine has already shown, it is very difficult for old aircraft to be effective in conditions of confrontation with modern air defense systems and combat aircraft.
So old Mirage will have to play the role of defender of the skies of France, fortunately, no one is encroaching on France, no matter how hard the empty-headed gentlemen from the government and their supreme commander try to preach otherwise.
In principle, nothing special, there are countries where such monsters as F-4 (Greece, Iran, Turkey) and F-5 (Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan), Su-17 (Poland, Angola, Vietnam) still serve, instilling horror (it is not entirely clear to whom, their own or others). The main thing is not to get involved in real wars, and you can flex your muscles on such veterans.
So the answer to the question of why veterans do not age and do not leave is simple - they are not given such an opportunity. Lack of money, lack of working capacity, lack of qualified personnel - and here is the result: the service of the "Mirage" is extended, and anyone is to blame for this, but not the honored veteran.
It only remains to congratulate the French Aerospace Forces on such a replenishment in the form of 50 modernized Mirage 2000DRMV, which will undoubtedly strengthen the combat capabilities of the Aerospace Forces. This is very important, especially today, when Macron is seriously going to repel Russian aggression in Europe.
It would also be nice to get the Mirage III out of the trash. That would be really good. Against the Russian Su-30SM2 and Su-35S - you couldn't think of anything better.
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