Warsaw Pact air defences, the electronic
suite of the ‘Deux Mille’ had to be extensively
modified. Flown by a pilot and navigator,
the Mirage 2000N was the first modern
tactical two-seater in French service.
This was a ‘culture shock’ for Mirage III and
Jaguar pilots converting to the type, but the
advantages of a two-person crew quickly
became evident, especially at very high speed
and/or very low level in adverse weather. The
2000N’s navigation system is less advanced than
the 2000D’s, and it lacks a laser designator pod.
In the 2000N therefore, the back-seater
is a navigator whereas in the 2000D they
are a weapon systems operator.
Into service
The Mirage 2000N prototype first
flew in February 1983 and
the first of 75 production
aircraft, serial number
N301, was delivered
by Dassault in
March 1986 for flight testing and operational
evaluation by Centre d’Expériences Aériennes
Militaires (CEAM) aircrews at Mont-de-Marsan.
The CEAM (now the Centre d’Expertise
Aérienne Militaire) is the Armée de l’Air’s air
warfare centre that undertakes operational
evaluation of new systems, devises new
tactics and trains the first frontline aircrews.
In March 1988 the first batch of Mirage
2000NK1s flew to Base Aérienne 116, in
Luxeuil, which became the main 2000N
operating base for years to come. Initial
operational capability was attained in
July 1988 with EC 1/4 ‘Dauphiné’.
The following year, EC 2/4 ‘La Fayette’
also converted to the type, and the first
nuclear quick reaction alert (QRA) was
officially established in September 1989.
Beginning in July 1988, pilots and
navigators initially selected for the Mirage
2000N underwent specific training at Luxeuil
with the Centre d’Instruction Tactique
(CITAC) 339 ‘Aquitaine’, a tactical training
centre. The unit operated two Mystère XX
business jets suitably modified with Mirage
2000N and D avionics suites, including the
Antilope radar in an elongated nosecone.
The CITAC disbanded in 2006, but the name
‘Aquitaine’ re-emerged in 2010, assigned to
Escadron de Transformation Rafale (ETR)
2/92, the Rafale operational conversion unit
at Saint-Dizier (now ETR 3/4 ‘Aquitaine’).
In early 1990, EC 3/4 ‘Limousin’, at Istres,
became the third squadron to transition to
the Mirage 2000N. Two years later EC 2/3
‘Champagne’, at Nancy-Ochey, also converted
to the 2000N, operating the type for just four
years until sufficient 2000Ds had been delivered.
A 2000N from this squadron, flown by Capitaine
Frédéric Chiffot and Lieutenant José Souvignet,
was shot down in Bosnia in 1995, the only
French Mirage 2000 combat loss to date.In 1996, EC 2/3 ‘Champagne’ switched to
the Mirage 2000D, the three Nancy-based
squadrons then standardising on this variant.From NK1 to NK2 standard
While the number of squadrons increased,
the aircraft’s capabilities also expanded. The
first 31 delivered by Dassault in the Mirage
2000NK1 standard were initially only able to
launch the ASMP and the Matra/MBDA Magic
2 infrared-guided self-defence missile. The
2000N’s operational capabilities broadened
with the introduction of the 2000NK2 standard.
In all, 44 Mirage 2000Ns were delivered as
new in K2 configuration, with all surviving K1s
brought up to K2 standard. This provided for
delivery of a range of unguided conventional
weapons, including 500lb (227kg) Mk82
bombs, 250kg (551lb) EU2 SAMP retarded
and slick bombs, BAP-100 anti-runway
weapons and BAT-120 area-denial bombs.
Each BAT-100 and BAT-120 comprised
18 independent submunitions grouped in
two packs of nine positioned in tandem
under the 2000N’s centreline pylon.
The highly specialised BAP-100 and BAT-
120 have long been withdrawn from the
Armée de l’Air inventory, mainly because
they had to be released while overflying
their target, which considerably increases
the attacking aircraft’s vulnerability.
Neither the Mirage 2000N nor the subsequent
2000D are fitted with internal guns.LGB capability
The Mirage 2000N’s weapon system is
not as modern as the Mirage 2000D’s or
Rafale’s. One of the shortcomings of the
K2 standard was its inability to deliver
conventional precision weapons, so it was
of little use in Kosovo-type peacekeeping
scenarios or anti-terrorist operations where
collateral damage has to be avoided.
The 2000N therefore had to be brought
up to the K2-4C standard to deliver
laser-guided bombs from the
US Paveway family. The
jet could then carry
two 500lb GBU-12s
fitted to a Rafaut
AUF-2 dual
station, or aAbove: A Mirage 2000N pilot in his ‘offi ce’ at Luxeuil.
Interestingly, he wears an Argentine Air Force Su-
29AR patch alongside his ‘La Fayette’ unit badge.
Mirage 2000N aircrews were trained to an extremely
high standard in order to guarantee the credibility of
the Armée de l’Air nuclear deterrence force.
82 // JULY 2018 #364 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com