Mirage upgrade shouldn’t wait till LS polls: France

With the Indian Air Force combat operational strength dipping to dangerously low levels...

With the Indian Air Force combat operational strength dipping to dangerously low levels — the fleet strength is down to 32 squadrons from 39 — and the induction of 126 new aircraft to replace its ageing fleet unlikely to happen in the near future, French avionics major Thales said on Thursday it was waiting for an early nod from New Delhi to go ahead with upgradation of the IAF’s existing Mirage 2000 fleet “to bridge the gap between current and future generations” of combat aircraft.

Thales Airborne Systems CEO Pierre-Yves Chaltiel told a group of visiting Indian journalists that France was ready to upgrade the IAF fleet of 51 Mirage 2000 to the Mirage 2000-5 level. “This will significantly enhance the IAF airpower potential and give it a coherent platform-system combination for the next 20 years at a far lower cost than acquisition of new aircraft capable of equivalent performance,” he said.

Gerard Christmann, General Manager, Business Line, Electronic Combat Solutions in the Thales Aerospace Division, said they were counting on an early Indian go-ahead for the upgrade programme. “We hope a decision comes through this year and the programme becomes effective before general elections in India. Otherwise, there is a big risk of at least a two-year delay because a new government in place could well mean that the whole process starts all over again. But from the talks that we have had, we get the impression that the IAF wants to move on this quickly,” Christmann said.

Story continues below this ad

According to Chaltiel, the upgrade programme is led by the French Government in association with the three original equipment manufacturers — Dassault Aviation (system integration and aircraft modification), Thales (equipment, subsystems) and MBDA (Mica missile). This partnership is able to guarantee state-of-the-art equipment including the RDY3 radar, ICMS Mk 4 integrated countermeasures suite and the modular data processing unit.

The programme is intended to be conducted in two phases — Phase 1 under French responsibility and Phase 2 under Indian charge to complete physical modification of the aircraft and develop locally a national standard with technical assistance from French industrial partners.

Francois Quentin, Senior Vice President of Thales Aerospace Division, said “an upgraded Mirage 2000 is the ideal candidate to bridge the gap between current and future generations”.

Indian plans to induct 126 new aircraft could take a while and the dwindling fleet strength has been causing concern in the IAF. Thales has recently upgraded 30 Mirage 2000 of the United Arab Emirates to the Mirage 2000-9 standard. A contract with Greece saw Thales involved in the supply of 15 new Mirage 2000-5 aircraft and 10 Mirage 2000 retrofitted to Mirage 2000-5 standard.

Story continues below this ad

(The writer is in France as part of a media group invited by Thales)

Canada, UK and Australia formally recognise a Palestinian state

World1 hr ago

The UK, Canada, and Australia have recognized Palestine as a state, going against the US and Israel's opposition. British PM Starmer aims to revive peace without Hamas and hostage release. Canada and Australia also recognize Palestine, condemning terrorism. Over 145 UN members recognize Palestine, with France likely to join soon.

View all shorts

Live Blog