Dassault Mirage 2000

Introduced in June, 1984, the Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French-built multirole fighter air craft. Capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the Mirage is in service in 9 countries, and over 600 aircraft has been built. One aircraft costs US$23 million.

Design...

This French fighter uses the delta wing concept of its predecessor, the Mirage III. The advantages for this wing design is that the plane performs better in high-speed flight, is simple in construction, with a low radar signature, and more internal volume. However, there are also numerous set-backs in regards to maneuverability, low-altitude flight, and distance for take-off, and landing. The Mirage is the first fighter jet with negative static stability.

Structure...

The wings of the Dassault Mirage is made of multi-spar metal wing, while the elevons have carbon-fiber skins with AG5 light alloy honeycomb cores. Its avionics bay is covered with honeycomb panels made up of carbon-fiber, and light alloy. The most of the tailfin, and all of the rudder of this aircraft are skinned with boron, epoxy, and carbon. The rudder also has a light alloy honeycomb core.

A French Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000C drops away from a United States Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker after refueling during a Combat Patrol Mission of N.A.T.O. Operation Allied Force. (Photographed by S.R.A. Greg L. Davis. April 15th, 1999.)

The Dassault Mirage 2000 participated in...

• the Gulf War.
• U.N., and N.A.T.O. air operations over former Yugoslavia. One aircraft was shot down over Bosnia with a heat-seeking surface-to-air missile in 1995.
• the intervention in Afghanistan in 2001-2002.
• the Summer of 2007 in Afghanistan in support of N.A.T.O. troops. 3 Mirages participated.
• the Kargil War of 1999.

Current Operators of the Dassault Mirage 2000...

• France.
• India.
• United Arab Emirates.
• Greece.
• Republic of China (Taiwan).
• Qatar.
• Peru.
• Brazil.

Specifications Wikipedia.

General characteristics...

Crew: 1.
Length: 14.36 m (50 ft 3 in). Wingspan: 9.13 m (29 ft).
Height: 5.30 m (17 ft 5 in).
Wing area: 41 m² (441.32 ft²).
Empty weight: 7,600 kg (17,000 lb).
Loaded weight: 13,800 kg (30,420 lb). Max takeoff weight: 17,000 kg (37,500 lb).
Powerplant: 1× SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofan, 95 kN (21,400 lbf).

Performance
Maximum speed: (Mach 2.2) altitude.
Range: 1,450 km (770 NM, 890 mi).
Service Ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft).
Rate of Climb: 285 m/s (56,000 ft/min). Wing Loading: 337 kg/m² (69 lb/ft²).
Thrust/Weight: 0.91.
Max sea level speed: 1,480 km/h.
Climb to 9,700 m: 1,75 min.
Climb to 15,000 m: 4 min.
Turn rate at 5 g: 12°/sec.
Turn rate at 9 g: 24°/sec.
Max g: normal 9 g, overloaded 11 g, break 13,5 g.

Armament
Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA cannons.
Missiles: 4× MBDA MICA air-to-air missiles.