IAF Nears Completion of Mirage 2000 Upgrade Program Despite Challenges

[RonitBisht]

The Indian Air Force's (IAF) major initiative to update its Mirage 2000 is almost complete, ten years after it started. By the end of the year, the last upgraded aircraft should be delivered, capping a process fraught with obstacles and delays.

India and Dassault Aviation inked a $2.5 billion deal in 2011 for the modernization of 51 of India's Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft. The goal of this extensive overhaul was to increase the aircraft's performance by adding modern radars, avionics, communication systems, and other components. Project completion was initially scheduled for 2021, but there were a number of obstacles.

Obstacles and Wait Times​

• Technical complexity: It turned out that integrating cutting-edge systems was harder than expected.
• fatal accident: In 2019, a test flight utilising an updated Mirage sparked concerns about safety and prompted investigations.
• COVID-19 pandemic: The worldwide epidemic hindered work progress and caused supply chain disruptions.
• Integration issues: With regard to particular system integrations in the final operating configuration (FOC) variant, the IAF expressed reservations.

The improvement programme is almost done, despite the obstacles. Roughly 90% of the Mirage 2000 fleet has undergone upgrades thus far, with the remaining aircraft undergoing completion. It is anticipated that the last improved jet would be delivered by the end of 2024.

When completed, the modified Mirage 2000s will provide the Indian Air Force with a fleet of fighter jets that are more capable and cutting-edge. Their situational awareness, targeting precision, and overall combat effectiveness will all be improved by the updated avionics, radars, and communication systems.

 

[Instant Karma]

HAL can easily upgrade mirage fighters with uttam AESA radar.

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

The money spent on upgrading Mirage aircrafts could have been used for buying one squadron of Rafale

 

[Ajath]

Mirage 2000 undoubtedly one of the best fighter jet with IAF. Highly reliable and also with high uptime. Be it Operation Garland or Kargil war or Balkot strike , Mirage 2000 was always at the fore front. Very valuable asset indeed.

 

[Anant]

The money spent on upgrading Mirage aircrafts could have been used for buying one squadron of Rafale

More like half a squadron.

 

[Shafted mohammed]

Honestly most overpriced prohibitively expensive deal with non AESA radar. Time has come to built everything ourselves at reasonable price.

 

[Mango_Indian]

While there is no doubt that this was a disappointing cycle - can we use this experience to modernize, say 50% of the 24 French used Mirage 2000 + 18 to-be-purchased Greek Mirage 2000 ?

We can easily add another squadron of modernized Mirage 2000 and if we are really serious, maybe add the 12 Qatar Mirage 2000 that are now in the market, given that Indonesia has rejected them and add 2 more squadrons of modernized Mirage 2000?

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

France should help India to buy 36 Mirage -2000 from qatat,UAE and other operators ! ADA HAL should also make new Tejas powered by 95 KN Snecma engine have Mac2.25 speed can carry 4.50 ton weapon load its airframe & weapon stations should be more Aero dynamic !

 

[NSR]

I have been writing it for a long time.
India spent almost $2.5+ billions of dollars on on Mirage-2000 upgrade.
India spent $1.2 billions on Mica missile with a range of 60 to 80 kms.
India wasted $$3.6+ billions upgrading them.

Now let us say the terroristan PAF sends its AESA radar equipped F-16s with AMRAAMs and Jf-17s with chinese long range BVRAAMs to attack Gwalior airbase or some other base where Mirage-2000UPGs are stationed,/
Can Mirage-2000UPGs take off and fight them at all?
F-16s and JF-17s can see Mirage-2000UPG and shoot them out of the sky.

Mirage-2000UPGs can't even see AESA PAF fighters, only our AWACS can see them.Mirage 2000UPG can't go to war without the big brothers SU-30MKIs and Rafale watching and protecting them. Get real.

I may get lot of flak from the French Bakts but I know a thing of two about CONOPS so I wrote.

I love my motherland, but I must be blunt in saying Mirage-2000 days are over long ago and no one wanted to bother to upgrade them at all and trying to sell.

I do not know who in the IAF, MoD, and GoI are responsible for it, but they must all be held accountable for endangering national security and defenses.

 

[Ashutosh]

Ah! Should have been completed by 2021 but *sigh* .
Where is Mr. Paris and Ben 10 Fan now!?

Kudos to IAF, MoD and all other related bodies - just how foresighted u all are.

The so- called DASSAULT AVIATION has missed timelines and 3 years have passed away.

And as for upgrade package - A2A missile- MICA 80kms.
Just as I have previously said, Tejas mk1a
are times better than these obsolete Mirages. Tejas can perform every role with more precision compared to the Mirages operational now.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

HAL can easily upgrade mirage fighters with uttam AESA radar.

HAL is incapable of doing anything easily and tends to unnecessarily complicate everything. The last time their modernized Mirage flew, it crashed killing the pilot. So no HAL simply is incapable of doing any upgrades safely in independent of OEM support.

 

[Mridul baruah]

HAL can easily upgrade mirage fighters with uttam AESA radar.

By easily you mean a decade.

 

[Mridul baruah]

Poor planning everywhere. No vision or anticipations. Pouring in millions to upgrade obsolete platforms, no timely decision for procuring alternatives. Once decided it takes decades for the bureaucracy to release funds. God save India

 

[Ashutosh]

By easily you mean a decade.

There has already more than a decade since this upgrade package was signed. Dassault f*cked up and now won't it be better to go with indigenous upgrade given ours is more effective.

 

[Siddharth Asthana]

This upgrade was a joke of a deal, replete with the under the table dealings. IAF should have never agreed for this extended timelines.
UPA Govt was an absolute fkup ...what they should have negotiated for was a 126 Rafale in India, and demanded Mirage upgrade at a discount. But alas, the officers and govt babus needed those UK trips, scholarships for theirs kids and EU PR....India hsould come up with an anti crrption rule that is retroactive in nature, let the folks sulk and die in indian jails if they r proven guilty even at the age of 70....no mercy!

 

[Ashutosh]

More like half a squadron.

Still worthy than a fighter with closed assembly lines.

 

[The Presence]

Ah! Should have been completed by 2021 but *sigh* .
Where is Mr. Paris and Ben 10 Fan now!?

Kudos to IAF, MoD and all other related bodies - just how foresighted u all are.

The so- called DASSAULT AVIATION has missed timelines and 3 years have passed away.

And as for upgrade package - A2A missile- MICA 80kms.
Just as I have previously said, Tejas mk1a
are times better than these obsolete Mirages. Tejas can perform every role with more precision compared to the Mirages operational now.

Don't forget it now has a cutting edge 'Pulse Doppler' Radar.

 

[Ashutosh]

Don't forget it now has a cutting edge 'Pulse Doppler' Radar.

Absolutely right 👍.

ofcourse It was important for Dassault to mention that cutting edge radar with target tracking of meh-100+kms.

Even our Uttam tracks Tejas at a distance of 140 kms and given how our Tejas has reduced RCS it simply hints how effective it is.

 

[Pad UwU]

HAL can easily upgrade mirage fighters with uttam AESA radar.

Are you for real bruh🤔🧐
With HAL??? that would me more decades to come

 

[Pad UwU]

Ah! Should have been completed by 2021 but *sigh* .
Where is Mr. Paris and Ben 10 Fan now!?

Kudos to IAF, MoD and all other related bodies - just how foresighted u all are.

The so- called DASSAULT AVIATION has missed timelines and 3 years have passed away.

And as for upgrade package - A2A missile- MICA 80kms.
Just as I have previously said, Tejas mk1a
are times better than these obsolete Mirages. Tejas can perform every role with more precision compared to the Mirages operational now.

You want to summon Akshat and his french lobbyist???