desiman
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The Mirage 2000 is a multirole combat fighter by Dassault Aviation of France.
Mirage 2000-5 is the latest of the Mirage 2000 family, and incorporates advanced avionics, new multiple target air-to-ground and air-to-air firing procedures using the RDY radar and new sensor and control systems.
Mirage 2000 has nine hardpoints for carrying weapon system payloads, five on the fuselage and two on each wing. The single seat version is also armed with two internally mounted high firing rate 30 mm guns.
Mirage 2000 has an upgraded digital Weapon Delivery and Navigation System, WDNS, which has capacity for further integration of new sensors and weapon systems. The aircraft can be fitted with a TV/CT CLDP laser designation pod from Thomson-CSF Optronique which provides the capability to fire laser guided weapons by day and night. The 2000-5 Mk 2 will have the Damocles pod with thermal imaging camera, also from Thomson-CSF Optronique.
Air-to-air weapons include the MICA multi-target air-to-air intercept and combat missiles and the Magic 2 combat missiles, both from Matra BAe Dynamics (France). The aircraft can carry four MICA missiles, two Magic missiles and 3 drop tanks simultaneously which provides a highly extended mission time. The Mirage 2000-5 can fire the Super 530D missile from Matra BAe Dynamics (France) or the Sky Flash air-to-air missile from Matra BAe Dynamics (UK) as an alternative to the MICA missile.
Mirage 2000 is also equipped to carry a range of air-to-surface missiles and weapons including laser guided bombs. These include Matra BAe Dynamics BGL 1000 laser guided bomb, Aerospatiale AS30L, Matra BAe Dynamics Armat anti-radar missile, Aerospatiale AM39 Exocet antiship missile, Matra BAe Dynamics rocket launchers, Matra Bae Dynamics Apache stand-off weapon, and the stealthy cruise missile, SCALP.
Mirage 2000-5 is available as a single-seater or two seater multi-role fighter. The cockpit is equipped with the F10Q zero/zero ejection seat designed by Martin-Baker Aircraft of the UK. The zero/zero seat gives the crew the option of ejecting safely at all altitudes and speeds including zero altitude and zero speed when the aircraft is parked. In the two seater aircraft the pilot initiates ejection of both seats, the copilot's seat ejecting 500 milliseconds after the pilot's seat. The cockpit is fully air conditioned and pressurized. Mirage 2000-5 incorporates the VEH 3020 Head Up Display from Thomson-CSF and five cathode ray tube multifunction Advanced Pilot Systems Interface (APSI) displays similar to the suite of displays developed for the Rafale aircraft. The combined head up/head level display is collimated at infinity and presents the data relating to flight control, navigation, air and ground target engagement and weapon firing. The aircraft's sensor and system management information is presented on two colored lateral displays. The tactical situation display provides the pilot with clear tactical information derived from advanced data fusion processors.
The aircraft has HOTAS hands on throttle and stick control which provides all the switches needed for air combat.
Mirage 2000 is equipped with a multi-mode RDY doppler radar developed by Thomson-CSF. The RDY radar provides multi-targeting capability in the air defence role and the radar also has look down/shoot down mode of operation. The radar can simultaneously detect up to 24 targets and carry out track while scan on the eight highest priority threats.
The aircraft is equipped with a comprehensive self protection suite installed internally and not requiring any external pod. Mirage 2000-5 carries the automated integrated countermeasures system, ICMS Mark2 from Thomson-CSF Detexis. The ICMS Mark 2 incorporates a receiver and associated signal processing system in the nose section for the detection of hostile missile command data links. The aircraft's self protection equipment can be interfaced to a new programmable mission planning and a post-mission analysis ground system.
The Mirage incorporates fly-by-wire flight control together with an SFENA 608 autopilot system.
Mirage 2000 is equipped with an M53-P2 turbofan engine from SNECMA which provides 64 kN thrust and 98 kN with afterburn. The air intakes are fitted with an adjustable half-cone shaped centrebody which provides an inclined shock of air pressure for highly efficient air input. The internal fuel tanks in the wings and fuselage have a capacity for 4,000 litres of fuel. The aircraft can carry an additional fuel load using external fuel tanks to bring the total fuel capacity up to 9,000 litres. The aircraft has aerial refuelling capability using a detachable probe on the starboard side just in front of the cockpit.
Mirage is very similar in appearance to the Rafale with a delta wing configuration and the wing set low on the fuselage. It is slightly narrower in wingspan and slightly longer than the Rafale. The aircraft structure features low weight honeycomb panels and extensive use of carbon fibre and light alloy materials. The aircraft is rated to pull 9g gravitational force
