- Yes
- No
Mirage 2000EGM is the outcome of adding Exocets and Matra Super 530D in the Mirage 2000EG, making it an excellent ship hunter that survived until 2022 with no upgrades. Lets take a look to this legendary plane that kept safe the Aegean for 20+ years that not even the Mirage 2000-5 could replace it, it took the Rafale EG/DG to came so the Mirage 2000EGM/BGM to finally retire.
The Mirage 2000 History
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French single-engine, multirole fourth-generation fighter that emerged in the mid-1970s after France cancelled the more ambitious and costly twin-engine Avion de Combat Futur (ACF) programme in December 1975. Dassault responded swiftly with a lighter, more affordable pure-delta design (initially known as the Delta 2000), powered by a single SNECMA M53 turbofan and equipped with fly-by-wire controls for enhanced agility.
The French Air Force formalised its requirements in 1976. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 10 March 1978 at Istres, becoming supersonic on that very first sortie. Production Mirage 2000C interceptors first flew in November 1982; deliveries began in 1983, and the type formally entered French service in July 1984, progressively replacing older Mirage III and F1 aircraft.
Approximately 601 aircraft were built between 1978 and 2007. The family evolved into several specialised variants, including the nuclear-capable Mirage 2000N, the conventional-strike Mirage 2000D, and the advanced multirole Mirage 2000-5/-9 series for both French and export customers. French Mirage 2000s saw combat in the Gulf War, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Syria. The type remains in service with several air forces, notably those of India, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan (Republic of China), Greece and others.
The Mirage 2000EGM in Greece
The Mirage 2000EG entered Hellenic Air Force service under the 1985 “Talos” contract, with the first aircraft arriving at Tanagra in April 1988 and deliveries completed by 1992. Early operations were limited by shortcomings in the RDM radar’s look-down performance, prompting Greece to renegotiate the deal. In February 1992 a revised agreement brought significant upgrades: an improved RDM-3 radar, the full ICMS 2000 Mk.1 self-protection suite, continuous-wave illuminators, and Matra Super 530D medium-range missilesin 1996.
In January 1997 Greece ordered the AM-39 Exocet Block 2 anti-ship missile These enhancements, delivered mainly between 1994 and 1996, led to the redesignation of the aircraft as Mirage 2000EGM/BGM and gave them a genuine beyond-visual-range capability. Certification trials were completed in 1998 and the missiles entered service the following year, allowing 331 Squadron to become operational in the maritime-strike role by early 1999. With the arrival of the more advanced Mirage 2000-5 Mk2s in 2007, the remaining EGM/BGM fleet and the Exocet mission were concentrated in 332 Squadron, where they continued to serve until the type’s final retirement from Hellenic Air Force service in January 2022.
Technical Specifications
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Specifications Length: 14.36 m Span: 9.13 m Height: 5.20 m Empty Weight: 7,500 kg Maximum Weight: 17,000 kg Maximal armament weight: 6,300 kg Power plant / Thrust: 1 × SNECMA M53-P2 afterburning turbofan / 64.3 kN dry, 95.1 kN with afterburner Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2 (approx. 2,336–2,350 km/h) at altitude Rate of Climb: 285 m/s (approx. 17,040–17,100 m/min) Ceiling: 17,060–18,500 m
Armament
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Guns:
2 × 30 mm DEFA 554Missiles:
Matra R.550 Magic 2 (up to 4)
Matra Super 530D (up to 2)Anti-Ship Missiles:
AM-39 Exocet Block 2 (up to 2)various dumb bombs and fuel tanks
Photos
Sources
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- HELLENIC DELTAS
- Greek Military Photos -- Greek Army
- https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/mirage/
- Όσα θέλετε να μάθετε για τον εκσυγχρονισμό (ή μη) των Mirage 2000EGM/BGM - ΠΤΗΣΗ
- Aviation World: Mirage 2000 Multi-Role Combat Fighter
- Mirage 2000: user countries, conditions and missions
- MIRAGE 2000 (DASSAULT-BREGUET)
- https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/mirage-2000-sales.htm
- Hellenic Air Force 114 Combat Wing - Greek Deltas - Tanagra AB, Greece - MILAVIA Military Aviation Specials
- Mirage 2000 - Μαχητικό αεροσκάφος
- https://www.haf.gr/history/historical-aircraft/mirage-2000-egm-bgm/
- ΠΤΗΣΗ 'Αρθρο Τεύχους
