A
S THE DASSAULT Rafale
increases its grip on the
French Air Force (Armée
de l’Air), older types are
standing aside from a
variety of roles. First it was
the Mirage F1, and now the mighty
Mirage 2000N has bowed out after a
stellar 30-year career. This two-seat
nuclear striker is surplus to requirements
as the two-seat Rafale B steps into the
secretive nuclear role with its impressiveMBDA ASMP-A (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée
— Air-to-Surface Medium-Range) stand-
o ramjet-propelled missile.
The end of the Mirage 2000N came
as little surprise. Escadron de Chasse
(EC) 2/4 ‘La Fayette’ at Istres formally
disbanded on June 26, ready to re-form
at Saint-Dizier as a Rafale B squadron
shortly thereafter. With the Mirage 2000N
there was no gradual transition to the
new type, such is the importance of the
mission. The Mirage crews held a nuclearTHE FINAL
TOUR^
In 2017, anticipating the withdrawal
from service, ‘La Fayette’ planned a
farewell tour for the type, known as the
‘Mirage 2000 eNd last tour’. It took in
15 bases around France during a week
on the road. The o cial retirement was
marked on June 21.The Mirage 2000N has been retired by the French Air Force as the
specialist nuclear strike role passes to the Rafale B.REPORT Fréderic Lért PHOTOS Anthony Pecchi
posture until the last minute; indeed, a
dozen aircraft and their crews were still
on strength at the end of July. It was
expected that the mission would be
manned by the 2000Ns until the end of
August before abruptly switching to the
Rafale B and its pair of nuclear squadrons,
EC 1/4 ‘Gascogne’ and the re-established
‘La Fayette’, both at Saint-Dizier.
‘We have seen a gradual decline in
our numbers over the last few months,’
commented the nal Mirage 2000NThe sleek lines of
the delta-winged
Mirage 2000N.
The type stood
fi rm in its nuclear
mission right until
the end of its
service life, as it
made way for the
Rafale B.http://www.combataircraft.net // September 2018 73
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