New Delhi: Mirage 2000, which was chosen by the Indian Air Force to launch a “pre-dawn” “pre-emptive” strike on the biggest terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot can hit long-range targets with “pin-point” accuracy and can drop a range of bombs and missiles including laser-guided ones.
It has the capacity to even carry nuclear weapons.
These are predecessors of the Rafale aircraft.
Mirage-2000, one of the Indian Air Force’s most versatile and deadliest aircraft was first commissioned in 1985 and are being upgraded at a cost of around Rs 20,000 crore.
IAF gave it the name, Vajra, meaning lightening thunderbolt in Sanskrit. The jet is available in single-seater and two-seater options.
Mirage 2000 is a French multi-role fighter jets and are fitted with Thales RDY 2 radar which can strike at targets with 100 per cent accuracy.
India currently has around three squadrons of Mirage 2000 fighter jets manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. The squadrons are based in Gwalior.
The aircraft was preferred as it is capable of long-range engagement of targets and the assessment was that it can record 100 per cent success rate. These fighter jets were also used during Kargil war.
After upgrade they have got features like a night vision goggle-compatible glass cockpit, advanced navigational systems, advanced identification friend or foe system, advanced multi-mode multi-layered radar, fully integrated electronic warfare suite and advanced beyond visual range (BVR) capability
India bought them as an answer to Pakistan buying US-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin.
India will have a much wider choice of aircraft to carry out precision strikes when Rafale jets are inducted into the IAF as they are capable of hitting targets at longer range. India is procuring 36 Rafale jets at a cost of '58,000 crore and the first aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in September.
