Mirage2000

3 View Outline of Mirage 2000(above)
Development and history

The Mirage 2000 was developed by Dassault-Breguet for the Armée de l'Air as an alternative to the swing-wing Avion de Combat Futur. After the latter was cancelled in 1975 due to its growing cost and complexity, Dassault offered the Mirage 2000 as an alternative. Development of this aircraft would also give the company a competitor to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, which had defeated the Dassault Mirage F1 in a contest for a new fighter for the air forces of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and Norway.

The prototype made its first flight in March 10, 1978 with test pilot Jean Coreau at the controls. The first production example flew in November 20, 1982 and the aircraft went into operational service in 1984.

Description:
Using the concept of the delta wing interceptor seen on the Dassault Mirage III, Dassault built a new design but still using a delta wing. This configuration is not ideal with regard to maneuverability, low-altitude flight, and distance required for take-off and landing, but has advantages in high-speed flight characteristics, simplicity of construction, low radar signature and internal volume.
With advances in fly-by-wire flight control systems which can control an aircraft much faster than a human pilot, Dassault returned to its familiar delta wing while still retaining a very maneuverable aircraft. The resulting Mirage 2000 was chosen as the principal fighter aircraft of the French Air Force in 1975. The original 2000C was primarily an air defense version later joined by the 2000-5 ground attack model. Like the Mirages before it, the 2000 has also been sold to a variety of foreign nations, and Brazil is likely to follow suit despite showing interest in purchasing the Su-35 instead to replace its aging Mirage III fleet.