IAF looks to replace crashed Mirage fighter jets

sathya

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Although the case for the acquisition of the two single-engine trainers is still at a preliminary stage, the IAF is 'desirous' of getting their 'numbers up from 49 to 51' again and is planning to make a pitch for the aircraft to the Ministry of Defense.The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to replace the two Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft, which crashed earlier this year.

While the case for the acquisition of the two single-engine trainers is still at a preliminary stage, it is understood that the IAF, 'desirous' of getting their 'numbers up from 49 to 51"² again, is planning to make a pitch for the aircraft to the Ministry of Defense.

Sources told StratPost that the imperative for the purchase was made all the more compelling because the two aircraft that crashed were trainer versions. Until the crashes, the IAF had 10 trainer aircraft, spread over each of the three IAF Mirage 2000 squadrons. Now down to eight, these aircraft are essential for training fresh pilots on the aircraft type. With the shortfall caused by the two crashes, the IAF has decided to ask for the purchase of the two aircraft.

Since, the aircraft is no longer manufactured by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Dassault, the IAF is planning to identify a foreign air force operating the aircraft, to which the sale can be proposed.

Although the aircraft is operated by nine foreign air forces, only the French Armée de l'Air, and the air forces of the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Taiwan operate them in any significant numbers.

The IAF has plans to operate its Mirage 2000 fleet over at least the next two decades. Last year, India ordered a USD 2.4 billion upgrade package from Dassault and Thales for its Mirage 2000 aircraft, to match the Mirage 2000-5 configuration, followed by a separate weapons package worth USD 1.23 billion for 450 MBDA MICA air-to-air missiles.

Keeping it French, the Dassault-built successor to the Mirage 2000, the Rafale, was selected earlier this year, as the lowest technically qualified bidder in the IAF contest for an estimated USD 20 billion order for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), beating the Eurofighter Typhoon on price.

The other competitors, the Russian MiG-35, the Swedish Saab Gripen, and US aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-16 and the Boeing F/A-18, were eliminated from the contest after the technical trials.
 

sob

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UAE Mirage 2000 surfaces again.

As I have maintained, that looking at the shortage of numbers and the delay in both LCA and MRCA, we have to give a booster shot to our AF.
 

p2prada

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Yeah. But I am not sure if IAF is looking to buy their whole fleet and I am not sure if UAE will sell two of their trainers.

It looks like the current authorization is only for 2 aircraft.

It would be pretty neat if we buy the entire fleet though. Once UAE wraps up the Rafale deal, maybe India and UAE can work out an agreement with France for spares and supplies of Rafales along with the Mirage-2000 fleet transfer to make it a win-win-win deal for all of us.
 

sob

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Maybe we can tie up with Dassault making it as a package deal for the MRCA.
 

p2prada

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It is too late for that.

Mirage-2000s will have to come in a separate deal now. Best to hope someone sells only 2 aircraft rather than hope for 60.
 

pankaj nema

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French Air force has too many surplus Mirages 2000

we can ask from them and we will get hefty discounts too :laugh:

After all we are paying some 23 Billion dollars to them

3 Billion for Mirage upgrade and 20 billion for Rafale deal
 

pankaj nema

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IAF simply LOVES its Mirages :love:

Isnt it .. IAF just cannot imagine life without its Mirage 2000s :nono:
 

vishwaprasad

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Instead I would say that why do not we ask France for 40 Rafales on lease? till we start getting deliveries of 126 Rafales our pilots can be trained on these fighters extensively. Don't know how much costly it will be though.
 

rahulrds1

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IAF planning to buy two more Mirage-2000 aircraft

The Indian Air Force is planning to buy two second-hand Mirage 2000 combat aircraft to make up for the losses suffered by it in crashes earlier this year.

The IAF, which has signed a deal with France for the upgradation of 51 Mirage 2000 aircraft, lost two of these planes in crashes in February and March after which its fleet was reduced to 49.

"We are planning to procure these aircraft from the French or some other Air Force which still operates these aircraft in its inventory as the production line of Mirages was shut down a few years ago," IAF officials said here.

They said if the Defence Ministry approves this proposal, the IAF would buy the two second-hand Mirages and then upgrade them to Mirage-2000-5 standards.

Under the $2.3 billion upgrade deal with France, the Mirages of the IAF will be upgraded to the '-5"² standards.The first two aircraft are already in France for upgradation under the supervision of an IAF team and work is progressing, they said. The remaining aircraft would be upgraded at HAL facilities in India with the help of French officials in next ten years.

IAF operates three squadrons of Mirages and all of them are deployed at the Maharajpur air base.
Post their upgradation, IAF sources said there was a possibility of one squadron of the combat aircraft being deployed at some other base also.


www_economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/iaf-to-procure-two-second-hand-mirage-2000-aircraft/articleshow/16516404.cms
www_firstpost.com/fwire/iaf-planning-to-buy-two-more-mirage-combat-planes-465223.html
 

natarajan

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Re: IAF planning to buy two more Mirage-2000 aircraft

They can get 51 and make it 100
 

Armand2REP

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Re: IAF planning to buy two more Mirage-2000 aircraft

IAF should seriously buy UAE's M2000-9. It is fully upgraded with few flight hours. It would help plug the squadron gap with a modern fighter at a bargain price.
 

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