September saw Base Aérienne 116 Luxeuil-Saint-Sauveur (BA 116) mark 40-plus years of Dassault Mirage 2000 operations with the French Air and Space Force. AeroResource joined the slightly later than anticipated celebrations, which occurred 14 months after the milestone!From its first flight in 1978, the Mirage 2000 pushed Dassault’s delta-wing design philosophy onwards and upon entering French service in 1984, became the backbone of the French Air and Space Force fleet. Over the decades, the type evolved into the multirole Mirage 2000-5 and long range strike Mirage 2000D. Many Mirage 2000Ds are now undergoing the RMV mid-life upgrade, ensuring combat relevance well into the 2030s.
The anniversary flypast featured the remaining in service variants B, D, –5F, whilst the small static display featured all types including the now retired nuclear deterrent Mirage 2000N and the original air defence Mirage 2000C. A reminder of the Mirage 2000’s longevity and versatility.
Read the full AeroResource report for photos and more detail on the Mirage 2000 celebrations here: https://www.aeroresource.co.uk/events/m ... 0-40years/
