India Receives First Upgraded Mirage 2000 Aircraft From France

Dassault Aviation handed over the first two Mirage 2000 I/TI to the Indian authorities on Wednesday during the acceptance ceremony held at Istres Flight Test Center.

Based on the integration of the latest generation equipment and systems, the first phase of the programme was completed on schedule in France.

The rest of the fleet will be upgraded in Bangalore under the responsibility of HAL with the complete support and involvement of Dassault Aviation and Thales teams. This programme serves the strategic requirements of the “Make in India” priority policy of the Indian Authorities.

The signing of the contract for the upgrade of Indian Mirage 2000 fleet occurred in July 2011.The maiden flight of its first upgraded Mirage 2000 was completed successfully by Dassault Aviation on the 5th October 2013, following a two year development phase dedicated to the equipment kit provided by Thales including the radar, the electronic warfare suite and the mission computer.

“The Rafale aircraft has been chosen by India after a comprehensive selection process in the frame of the MMRCA competition, and exclusive negotiation is ongoing. The Rafale is the next logical step.” said Eric Trappier, Chairman & CEO of Dassault Aviation.

“The Rafale will fulfill all of the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force and the industrial requirements of India’s economic policy as the Mirage 2000 continues to do,” Trappier added.