Dassault Mirage 2000 deployed in air strike across LoC

New Delhi, Feb 26:  Twelve days after ghastly terror attack in Pulwama, a group of Mirage 2000 Indian Fighter jets struck a major terrorist camp across the LoC and completely destroyed it on Tuesday.

The Mirage 2000 is a jet fighter made by Dassault aviation of France. The Dassault is also the maker of Rafale, which is embroiled in controversy now.

In 1999, when the Kargil War broke out, the Mirage 2000 performed remarkably well  during the whole conflict in the high Himalayas, even though the Mirages supplied to India had limited air interdiction capability and had to be heavily modified to drop laser-guided bombs as well as conventional unguided bombs.

Armed with Paveway LGBs, the aircraft were involved in the destruction of enemy command bunkers.

During Operation Safed Sagar from June-July 1999, two Mirage squadrons flew a total of 514 sorties. No. 1 Squadron flew air defence and strike escort missions, while No. 7 Squadron conducted 240 strike missions during which it dropped 55,000 kg (121,000 lb) of ordnance.

Upgraded Mirage 2000:

The Indian Air Force received the first two upgraded Mirage-2000 aircrafts from France under a Rs 10,000 crore deal in July 2018.

The two upgraded aircraft, flown in by IAF pilots from France covering Greece, Egypt and Qatar in over seven days, landed at the Gwalior Air Force Station.

The contract for upgradation was signed with Thales Aeroportes Systems and Dassault Aviation of France.

(With PTI inputs)