IAF to bolster fighter fleet with 24 second-hand Mirages
Hindustan TimesThe Indian Air Force is set to acquire 24 second-hand Mirage 2000 fighters, made by Dassault Aviation, in an attempt to strengthen its ageing fleet of the fourth-generation fighters and also secure parts for its two existing squadrons of the aircraft, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity. IAF’s 35-year old Mirage fleet, which performed exceptionally during the 2019 Balakot operation, is undergoing a mid-life upgrade, the people said – with the trigger for the acquisition of the second-hand aircraft being the immediate need for 300 critical spares. The remaining 11 fighters are partially complete but with fuel tanks and ejection seats, which will be scavenged to secure parts for IAF’s two existing squadrons of the fighter. Until the Narendra Modi government took the decision of acquiring the 4.5 generation Rafale fighters, the Mirage 2000 was India’s front-line fighter, a position it has held since the Kargil war.
History of this topic
IAF gets two Mirage 2000 fighters from France to strengthen combat aircraft fleet
India TV News
IAF, French Air Force sign deal to purchase phased out Mirage aircraft
India TV News
It's not the age, it's the mileage: Why 35-year-old Mirage was India's best bet against Pakistan
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