Bengaluru: The Mirages have done it yet again. Pounding the enemy targets with precision and finesse. Six bombs of 1000-kg each (Spice 2000) are said to have been dropped on the chosen terror camps in Balakot, across the border.
Yet again, the Mirage 2000s have become the mighty and the go-to-plane for the Indian Air Force (IAF) when they needed them the most. Even after serving the Indian Air Force (IAF) for over 33 years, these fighters from French Dassault Aviation (the makers of Rafale), still continue to be a potent fighter.
“The Mirage 2000s offer many advantages to us with its multi-role capabilities. It is the best bet we have to undertake ground defence, air defence and offensive air operations,” says an IAF official.
“Today’s operation was completely under the command structure of the Western Air Command. We operate three squadrons of Mirage-2000s from AFS Gwalior,” the official said.
The No 7 Squadron (Battle Axes), No 1 Squadron (Tigers) and No 9 Squadron (Wolf Pack) operate from AFS Gwalior.
He said the Mirage-2000s are very high reliable machines and their current availability rates are far better than when compared to some of other fighters IAF operate.
“Kargil was the best example and everyone is aware what the Mirage fleet did. We had used the PGMs (precision-guided weapons) first time during the Kargil War. The Mirages also have a very high rate of air-to-air weapon delivery,” says the official.
He said the weaponry of Mirage-2000 is well-suited for the targets that were hit in Balakot on Tuesday morning. “The LGBs (laser-guided bombs) is the American GBU-12 paveway kit, an all-weather weapon with a seeker and independent guidance system. The aircraft is also fitted with a litening pod to acquire targets and guide precision bombs,” the official said.
In addition to the Mirages, the electro-optical litening pod from Rafael (Israel) are fitted on Su-30 MKIs, Mig-29s and Tejas.
The first Mirage-2000 joined the IAF in 1985 a year after the deal for 49 aircraft was signed. The IAF added 10 more Mirage 2000s in 2004.
“Later this year, the first Rafale would join the IAF fleet and together along with the Mirage-2000s and Su-30MKIs we will have a formidable strike force,” the official said.
He said the roles of IAF fighters differ with the Sukhois having capability to fly with heavy weapon load.
More features added
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is currently upgrading the Mirage 2000 fleet following a pact India inked with France in 2011.
HAL has so far delivered 11 Mirages upgraded to 2000-5 standard, out of which nine are part of IOC (Initial Operational Clearance) and two FOC (Final Operational Clearance).
The upgradation improves the range, air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities of Mirage-2000s. The following are the add-on features:
Avionics: AESA or Pulse Doppler Radar, RLG INGPS, new Head Up Display.
EW System: Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Self-Protection Jammer (SPJ), Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS), Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS).
Communication System: SATCOM, INCOM II
Weapons: Air-to-air missile, Smart air-to-ground weapons with standoff capability.
Airframe & Systems: Drop Tank (2000 L) under wing tank and Solid State Flight Data Recorder.
Cockpit: Glass cockpit with Night Vision Goggle (NVG)-compatible cockpit lightning.
An upgraded Mirage-2000-5 had crashed during its Customer Acceptance Flight on February 1 this year, killing both pilots at HAL airport, for which a Court of Inquiry is on.
“The Mirages will continue to fly for the next 20-25 years and the current upgradation package when completed make them a completely different fighter,” says a pilot with over 1000 hours of experience on the fighter.
Mirage-2000, called as Vajra (Lightening) in the IAF, is also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
“The IAF was always prepared for a surgical strike with the right kind of aircraft, right kind of equipment and right air crew. In the case of Mirages, it can carry heavy weapon loads up to around 14,000lbs, which is phenomenal in a combat scenario. Today, the leadership demanded such kind of an action and the boys did it,” an Air Marshal told Onmanorama.
He said IAF was always ready with such kind of a mission in the last two decades.
“Air power has the escalating tendency and so we were a bit cautious all the time. But, today it was an act demanded by the leadership and we executed it with precision. We did it our way,” he adds.
