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Mirage 2000 - Definition and Overview |
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 A Mirage 2000 of the Indian Air Force The Mirage 2000 is a French-built multi-role fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation.
Its first role is to be an interceptor, yet it retains a ground-attack capability. Although it looks similar to the Dassault Mirage III and Mirage V, it is radically different. The Mirage 2000 has different controls, better avionics and is a radically better fighter than its predecessors. The Mirage 2000 serves the air forces of Egypt, France, Greece, India, Peru, Qatar, Republic of China (Taiwan), United Arab Emirates and is currently the front-line fighter for the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air).
Development began on the aircraft in the 1970s and the first flight took place in 1978. By 1983 it began seeing service in the French Air Force. The Mirage 2000 has many variants, including a naval version and a trainer which have two seats. The Mirage 2000 has a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. More than 500 have been produced.
Nuclear and conventional strike variants of the Mirage 2000 are the Mirage 2000N and 2000D respectively.
The Mirage 2000 is scheduled to be replaced by Dassault Neuron UCAVs from 2012.
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