Mirage 50CN Pantera - The cousin of the IAI Kfir Israeli

[Chilean_Thunder]

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

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Mirage 50CN Pantera

History:

In 1979, Chile bought 16 Mirage 50 aircraft from Avions Marcel Dassault - Breguet Aviation (AMD). The first eight Mirage 50 FC (500 to 507, later the 500 would be re-registered 508) were delivered to Chile in 1980, then between 1982 and 1983 they received 6 corresponding to the Mirage 50C model (509 to 514) that came equipped with the AGAVE radar and finally two Mirage 50 DC trainers (515 and 516) were received, all of them already in Chile in 1983. Before being delivered to Chile, these aircraft were modified by changing the original Atar 9C engine, which was replaced by an Atar 9K-50 that contributed 7,200 kg push full power. Chile began the first known modernization program as “Bracket”, this new program was implemented by the Chilean national company ENAER under the advice and support of Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd., the plane that was used as a prototype was the Mirage 50C series 514 that incorporated vortex generator fillets in the aircraft radar cone and canard fins which reduced the takeoff run by 1,500 feet (about 450 m), and was unveiled during FIDA 86 and renamed as Mirage 50CN.

The Mirage 50C No. 514, which had been a Project Bracket test bed, is now undergoing Project Pantera modifications

Later, it was decided to implement even more updates and improvements to the Mirage 50, becoming the most important modernization project in the history of Chile; In addition, the landing gear was replaced by another similar to those used by IAI Kfir aircraft, in order to be able to lift heavier external loads, and the integration of a new nose section Kfir style that extended its nose by one meter length, this change allowed the integration of navigation equipment of British origin and the integration of a new radar, the ELTA EL/M2001B manufactured in Israel.

ENAER specialists proceed to fix the new nose on the fuselage of aircraft No. 514

All these changes were implemented in the same first plane, the Mirage 50C 514 series, which was presented with all the new improvements in 1988, being renamed “Pantera” and all these improvements being implemented in the other Mirage 50s. Initially the planes " Pantera" operated the Shafrir 2 but from 1993 the Israeli Python III missile was approved throughout the fleet, in addition a modernization kit called Griffin from Israel was integrated for the Mk.82/Mk.83 and Mk.84 bombs and for 1995 the LGB Griffin were part of the Pantera fleet that would later be inherited for the Mirage M-5MA Elkan. Regarding the plane’s electronics, it integrated more evolved versions of the Caiquén (DM/A-104) and Eclipse (DM/A-202) developed in the early 1980s by the Electronics Department of the Chilean Air Force Research Directorate. These developments were taken over by the company Desarrollo de Tecnologías y Sistemas (DTS) who integrated a complete suite of locally developed electronic countermeasures into the two aforementioned products. Caiquén was the development destined to alert the pilots of the emission of enemy radars, being this device capable of identifying if the signal of a radar came from a surveillance, acquisition or fire control equipment, both terrestrial and aerial, the system had a weight that did not exceed 10 kg and having a coverage of 360º in azimuth and +/- 40º in elevation. Eclipse consisted of a passive self-defense system intended to disturb active radars or IR missiles via chaff/flares, a device was also installed to launch Israeli-made Griffin laser-guided bombs. As of 1996, the aerial refueling probe was added. Finally, on December 28, 2007, the entire Pantera fleet was decommissioned.

Mirage 50CN Pantera with its original paint scheme, you can see its Pantera distinctive in the paint

Mirage Pantera cockpit, missing multifunction display in the lower left area (orange area) and RWR display in upper right

Detail of Pantera’s ECM dispenser

Mirage 50CN Pantera with one of its final paint schemes

Mirage 50CN Pantera, Python 3 missile launch and cockpit images

Specifications:

• Crew:
  • 1
• Armament:
  • Primary: 2x 30mm DEFA 552A internal cannons
  • Secondary: hardpoint mountings 7 support 4,000 kg:
    • Bombs: Cardoen GP Bombs (Mk 81, 82, 83, 84), Cardoen Cluster Bombs (CB-130, CB-500, CB-250-K, CB-500-K), Snake-eye bombs, LGB Griffin.
    • Missiles: Shafrir 2, Python III.
    • Rockets: 68mm SNEB rocket pods.
  • Additional systems: Radar ELTA EL/M2001B, Caiquén II RWR, 2 x Eclipse flare/chaff pods with 18 charges each (36 in total) , Device for launching laser-guided bombs, Vortex-generating fillets on the aircraft’s nose and canard flaps, Mid-air refueling lance.
• Dimensions:
  • Lenght: 17.0 m
  • Wingspan: 8.22 m
  • Height: 4.50 m
  • Empty weight: 7,150 kg
  • Weight maximum take-off: 13,700 kg
• Performance:
  • Powerplant: Atar 9K-50 that provides 5,000 kg Normal thrust, 7,200 kg. thrust at full power
  • Maximum speed: 2350 km/h
  • Service Ceiling: 18000 m
  • Range: 4000 km
  • Rate of climb: 186 m/s

CARDOEN GP BOMBS (general purpose)

CARDOEN CLUSTER BOMBS

Photos:

Sources:

• Amazon.com
• ENAER Mirage 50CN Pantera Multirole Fighter Aircraft
• El Mirage 50 Pantera en la Fuerza Aérea de Chile
• https://www.avionslegendaires.net/avion-militaire/enaer-pantera/
• Janes Air-Launched Weapons 1997
• Janes Radar and Electronic Warfare Systems 1993-94

[panzerknoef]

+1. One of the coolest Mirage modifications, I would love to see it in-game!

[Chilean_Thunder]

thanks very much friend. Would you like to see it in the tree of Israel, of France, or in a future tree of Latin America?

[panzerknoef]

Hard choice, my first choice would be a Latin American tree, followed by Israel and lastly France.

[Chilean_Thunder]

With its technical characteristics, which BR would you give it? I was thinking in BR 11.0

[panzerknoef]

Since it’s basically a worse Kfir C.7, 11.0 indeed seems reasonable. Though having Pythons at that BR could be a bit controversial.

[Chilean_Thunder]

Why? which sidewinder missile is Python III equivalent to?

[POLYDEUCES]

Python 3 is at 11.0 already. And on some of the aircraft we have in game would be fine at 10.7.
Seeinh that we have R-60M and AIM-9L at even lower Br’s.

[Chilean_Thunder]

Some photos I took of the Mirage 50DCN Pantera No. 515 (two-seater version) at the Chilean Aeronautical Museum, you can see its details, its characteristic panther distinctive and its nose that was lengthened by Chile.

[TuxedoBird]

Man, that crooked nose is so ugly, but the modification is unique enough to warrant having it in the game!

As a Chilean, I’m not a fan of the idea of seeing Chilean vehicles in the Israeli tree, but it’s the option that makes most sense. Likely at whatever BR the C.2 is at, and after the Nesher.

[Chilean_Thunder]

If the Latin American tree is not implemented one day, the only way for anything from Chile to enter the game would be through Israel. I understand that some people have political problems with Israel, but personally I don’t let those things affect me. I just want to see it represented. to chile in the game. By the way, I have sub trees from Chile in the forum in case you want to see them :D

[TuxedoBird]

Oof I think we’ve got enough trees as it is, but I’ll go check out your suggestion!

[Chilean_Thunder]

Mirage 50CN Pantera firing the Israeli Python III missile

[Chilean_Thunder]

@panzerknoef There is something that I have noticed lately and it seems that the Mirage Pantera may carry more countermeasures than we thought. I have been analyzing a series of photos and I noticed that in several photos at the bottom of the countermeasures area it seems there be more.

In these photos you can see the typical lateral countermeasures, which are 36, but if you look at the area below (where I marked with red) there seems to be more:

I analyzed more photos and I found this, in fact in this photo it is clearly seen that the light blue area where the countermeasures go also includes the area below:

another photo where you can see the countermeasures area much closer, you can see that this area can be removed:

Taking all this into account, I believe that Chile’s Mirage Pantera can actually carry twice as many countermeasures, that is 72, what do you think?

[pugthug316]

Mirage go brrr.

[panzerknoef]

I think it is indeed related to the counter measure system, but I doubt it’s actually another chaff/flare dispenser. Maybe rather some sensor or smth?

[Chilean_Thunder]

@Chilean_Thunder

@Chilean_Thunder

Here I left the countermeasures developed in Chile that the Pantera used, you don’t see anything extra other than the countermeasure dispensers and the black device is too small.

I have some photos where you can see the Panthers in flight and it can be seen from afar that it has something underneath, I’m almost sure they are more countermeasures

[panzerknoef]

Hmmm yes, these angles make it a lot more convincing!

[Chilean_Thunder]

I think I’m going to fix the publication and add those countermeasures that I discovered now, I also plan to go to the aeronautical museum here in Chile to see if I can verify it, although it will be difficult for the museum managers to let me thoroughly inspect the plane, always I wanted better photos of the Pantera cockpit