- Yes
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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new feature!
Today, I’m presenting a key version in the evolution of the Mirage 2000: the Mirage 2000C in the S2 standard.
When the Mirage 2000C entered service in the early 1980s, it represented the new face of French air defense. The first operational version of the Mirage 2000, it marked a major technological leap thanks to its optimized delta wing, fly-by-wire system, and high maneuverability. However, like all modern combat aircraft, it evolves through successive stages, called “standards,” each bringing improvements designed to increase its effectiveness and keep pace with the rapid evolution of electronics and operational needs.
The S1 standard, the first in the series, equipped the very first Mirage 2000Cs to roll off the production line. This was still an incomplete version, equipped with a multifunction Doppler radar (RDM) with limited range and tracking capabilities, and using only Magic air-to-air missiles. To address these shortcomings, Dassault and Thomson-CSF quickly developed a series of improvements that would lead to the S2 standard.
The Mirage 2000C S2 represented the first significant upgrade of the Mirage 2000C. It retained the RDM radar but benefited from modernized avionics, more reliable equipment, and better integration of its weapon systems. The S2 also incorporated electronic improvements enabling better radar operation, more efficient management of air-to-air modes, and increased overall component reliability. Navigation, communication systems, and certain electrical controls gained precision and robustness, correcting several flaws identified in aircraft of the previous standard.
Operationally, the Mirage 2000C S2 offers increased effectiveness in air defense missions. Pilots benefit from a more stable and intuitive operating environment, allowing them to better utilize the aircraft’s maneuverability. However, the S2 remains limited by the RDM radar and cannot yet employ the Super 530 missile, restricting it to intermediate interception capabilities until the arrival of the S3 standard, and especially the S4 equipped with the powerful RDI radar, which will definitively transform the Mirage 2000C into a high-performance interceptor. Aircraft of the S2 standard served in several French fighter squadrons throughout the first half of the 1980s, contributing to the gradual integration of the Mirage 2000 into the French Air Force. They played a key role in the transition from the Mirage III and Mirage F1 and prepared crews for the later, more advanced versions. Most Mirage 2000C S2 aircraft will subsequently be upgraded to the S3 or S4 standards, following the natural evolution of the fleet.
The S2 standard thus represents a crucial but often overlooked milestone in the history of the Mirage 2000. Situated between the initial version and the fully operational versions, it represents the aircraft’s first technological consolidation and marks the beginning of its rise to the status of benchmark interceptor that the Mirage 2000C would hold for several decades.
Radar
The radar used on this version of the Mirage 2000 is therefore the early RDM radar. This multimode radar allows you to search for targets over 120° in front of the aircraft (horizontally and vertically) and can detect 90% of targets with a reflective surface of 5m² at 50nm.
The radar allows different scanning modes and patterns to detect aerial targets up to 60nm and cover angles of up to 120° by 30°. This radar also allows the detection of naval targets; in fact, the manufacturer announces a ship detection capability at 60nm using the 120° detection pattern.
However, this version of the RDM has little downward detection capability (an improvement that will come with the RDM radars of the Mirage 2000C S2), making it a radar poorly suited for low target search but more suited for interception.
Equipment
The aircraft is equipped with the same technology as its predecessors, it has the same MATRA SPIRALE countermeasure release system (no MAW since this one was integrated on the 2000C S5), the RWR SERVAL developed by Thales is also present.
Weapons
The armament system of the Mirage 2000C S2 is rather simple. The aircraft has no air-to-ground weapon carrying capability, and only two missiles are available for the wingtip mounts.
- 2 x Magic 1
- 2 x Magic 2
The aircraft is also equipped with two 30mm DEFA cannons with their 125 shells each, which are standard on French combat aircraft. External fuel tanks can also be equipped, with the possibility of carrying a 1300-liter tank in a central position or 1700 or 2000-liter tanks under the wings.
In-game, this aircraft would be a rather interesting addition to the French tech tree, providing a plane entirely focused on dogfighting; however, due to its flight performance, balancing it could prove difficult.
Pictures
Sources
https://www.dassault-aviation.com/fr/defense/soutien-militaire/avions-soutenus/mirage-2000/
TEXTE 2 Tomes Bonnet v8.pdf
COMAERO Volume II
https://radars-darricau.fr/livre/2-PDF/histoire.pdf
Un demi-siècle d'aéronautique en France
Microsoft Word - 1_Synthèse Complet A5.doc
Dassault Mirage 2000C
FAQ de fr.rec.aviation
Dassault Mirage 2000 Variant Briefing [PDF|TXT]
mirage-2000c-flight-manual.pdf - Google Drive
Snecma M53 - Versions