France eyes counter-drone role for Mirage 2000D RMV after Red Sea combat deployments
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The French Air and Space Force is considering a new counter-drone mission for its Mirage 2000D RMV fleet. The move could extend the life of the upgraded strike jet while easing pressure on Rafale units engaged in higher-end operations.
According to an interview with General Jérôme Bellanger in the specialized revue Air Fan, in the October 2025 edition, the French Air and Space Force is weighing a new mission for its Mirage 2000D RMV fleet: dedicated counter-UAS interception. The report follows a year in which French fighters repeatedly engaged drones over the Red Sea and refined tactics against slow, low radar cross-section targets. The RMV mid-life upgrade gives the strike-focused 2000D a sharper air-to-air edge, marrying the MICA IR missile, a 30 mm CC422 cannon pod, and the TALIOS targeting pod with refreshed avionics and data links. If formalized, the concept would turn a proven bomber into a flexible drone hunter that can cover large maritime and land approaches at relatively low operating cost.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Mirage 2000D RMV combines precision strike and air defense roles with MICA IR missiles, TALIOS targeting pod, and a 30 mm cannon pod, transforming it into a versatile multirole platform capable of engaging drones and conventional threats alike (Picture source: Ministère des Armées).
The RMV package was declared operational in the spring and is now fielded on increasing numbers of airframes scheduled to serve into the 2030s. Upgrades include integration of the MBDA MICA IR missile to replace aging Magic II stocks, qualification of dual-mode GBU-48/50, adoption of the Thales TALIOS pod for long-range identification, and a podded 30 mm CC422 gun for close-in work. Imagery and official briefings this year have shown RMV aircraft carrying mixed loads of two MICA IR, precision bombs, TALIOS, and the CC422, underscoring a multirole profile that is well-suited to the drone fight.
The Mirage 2000D retains its Antilope V terrain-following radar and relies on offboard cueing and electro-optical tracking rather than a dedicated air-intercept radar. TALIOS can passively acquire and classify small aerial contacts at range, while the MICA IR’s imaging seeker can be slaved to pod or helmet cues for silent intercepts, a useful advantage against propeller-driven drones that emit little radar energy. French trials this summer, led by the DGA with support from MBDA, also validated MICA IR against very high-altitude balloon targets, expanding the engagement envelope against unconventional aerial objects that share some signature traits with larger drones.
The RMV’s counter-drone concept of employment builds on missions already flown from the Red Sea to the Horn of Africa. French Rafale and Mirage detachments have downed nearly a dozen hostile drones this year while protecting maritime traffic and coalition assets, often at night and in complex airspaces crowded with friendly traffic. A drone-hunter 2000D RMV detachment would fly persistent orbits guided by E-3F early warning, use passive sensors to refine tracks, and employ MICA IR for clean kills without lighting up the radar picture. When rules of engagement or target geometry demand it, the CC422 pod offers a controllable, low-collateral option against slow movers inside visual range.
France has pushed RMV jets forward to Djibouti this year, strengthening posture along the Bab el-Mandeb where drone and cruise missile threats intersect key sea lanes. Assigning counter-UAS to upgraded Mirages would free Rafale squadrons for higher-end deterrence while extending the useful life of a fleet scheduled to bridge the force until at least mid-next decade. It also provides a credible template for allies still operating earlier Mirage variants and facing similar drone saturation challenges.
Drones have become strategic tools for state and proxy actors from Yemen to Ukraine, compressing warning timelines and complicating air defense economics. Paris has responded by pairing investment in ground-based C-UAS with airpower that can intercept cheaply and often. The RMV’s potential pivot to drone hunter sits squarely in that logic, complementing naval and land shields while signaling that legacy airframes, smartly modernized, can still shape the air defense fight. As the Air and Space Force finalizes tactics and sortie generation models, this move will be watched closely across NATO air arms, looking for affordable counters to a threat that is multiplying faster than new fighters can be built.
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The French Air and Space Force is considering a new counter-drone mission for its Mirage 2000D RMV fleet. The move could extend the life of the upgraded strike jet while easing pressure on Rafale units engaged in higher-end operations.
According to an interview with General Jérôme Bellanger in the specialized revue Air Fan, in the October 2025 edition, the French Air and Space Force is weighing a new mission for its Mirage 2000D RMV fleet: dedicated counter-UAS interception. The report follows a year in which French fighters repeatedly engaged drones over the Red Sea and refined tactics against slow, low radar cross-section targets. The RMV mid-life upgrade gives the strike-focused 2000D a sharper air-to-air edge, marrying the MICA IR missile, a 30 mm CC422 cannon pod, and the TALIOS targeting pod with refreshed avionics and data links. If formalized, the concept would turn a proven bomber into a flexible drone hunter that can cover large maritime and land approaches at relatively low operating cost.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The Mirage 2000D RMV combines precision strike and air defense roles with MICA IR missiles, TALIOS targeting pod, and a 30 mm cannon pod, transforming it into a versatile multirole platform capable of engaging drones and conventional threats alike (Picture source: Ministère des Armées).
The RMV package was declared operational in the spring and is now fielded on increasing numbers of airframes scheduled to serve into the 2030s. Upgrades include integration of the MBDA MICA IR missile to replace aging Magic II stocks, qualification of dual-mode GBU-48/50, adoption of the Thales TALIOS pod for long-range identification, and a podded 30 mm CC422 gun for close-in work. Imagery and official briefings this year have shown RMV aircraft carrying mixed loads of two MICA IR, precision bombs, TALIOS, and the CC422, underscoring a multirole profile that is well-suited to the drone fight.
The Mirage 2000D retains its Antilope V terrain-following radar and relies on offboard cueing and electro-optical tracking rather than a dedicated air-intercept radar. TALIOS can passively acquire and classify small aerial contacts at range, while the MICA IR’s imaging seeker can be slaved to pod or helmet cues for silent intercepts, a useful advantage against propeller-driven drones that emit little radar energy. French trials this summer, led by the DGA with support from MBDA, also validated MICA IR against very high-altitude balloon targets, expanding the engagement envelope against unconventional aerial objects that share some signature traits with larger drones.
The RMV’s counter-drone concept of employment builds on missions already flown from the Red Sea to the Horn of Africa. French Rafale and Mirage detachments have downed nearly a dozen hostile drones this year while protecting maritime traffic and coalition assets, often at night and in complex airspaces crowded with friendly traffic. A drone-hunter 2000D RMV detachment would fly persistent orbits guided by E-3F early warning, use passive sensors to refine tracks, and employ MICA IR for clean kills without lighting up the radar picture. When rules of engagement or target geometry demand it, the CC422 pod offers a controllable, low-collateral option against slow movers inside visual range.
France has pushed RMV jets forward to Djibouti this year, strengthening posture along the Bab el-Mandeb where drone and cruise missile threats intersect key sea lanes. Assigning counter-UAS to upgraded Mirages would free Rafale squadrons for higher-end deterrence while extending the useful life of a fleet scheduled to bridge the force until at least mid-next decade. It also provides a credible template for allies still operating earlier Mirage variants and facing similar drone saturation challenges.
Drones have become strategic tools for state and proxy actors from Yemen to Ukraine, compressing warning timelines and complicating air defense economics. Paris has responded by pairing investment in ground-based C-UAS with airpower that can intercept cheaply and often. The RMV’s potential pivot to drone hunter sits squarely in that logic, complementing naval and land shields while signaling that legacy airframes, smartly modernized, can still shape the air defense fight. As the Air and Space Force finalizes tactics and sortie generation models, this move will be watched closely across NATO air arms, looking for affordable counters to a threat that is multiplying faster than new fighters can be built.
