France quietly expands the fleet of upgraded Mirage 2000D RMV fighter jets as Ukraine’s needs grow
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As reported by Laurent Lagneau on March 26, 2025, the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, AAE) will receive a total of 50 Mirage 2000D aircraft upgraded under the Rénovation Mi-Vie (RMV, Mid-Life Upgrade) program, two more than previously planned. On 26 March 2025, the Ministry of the Armed Forces stated that 47 modernized aircraft were delivered in 2024 and that three more are scheduled for delivery in 2025. This adjustment was not mentioned in the Ministry’s 2025 defense budget press kit, which emphasized the delivery of 14 Rafale aircraft.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The RMV program, initiated to address system obsolescence and extend the aircraft’s operational relevance beyond 2030, includes the integration of the CC422 30mm cannon pod derived from the Mirage F1’s CC420. (Picture source: French Air Force)
Initially outlined in the 2009–2014 Military Programming Law (Loi de programmation militaire, LPM), the Mirage 2000D RMV program was delayed multiple times despite being described as essential by the AAE. The upgrade project was launched in 2018 with a revised goal of modernizing 55 out of the 71 Mirage 2000Ds then operated by the 3rd Fighter Wing. However, the 2024–2030 LPM reduced the target to 48 aircraft. The final adjustment to 50 appears to have occurred without prior public announcement. In a recent parliamentary report, Frank Giletti, the deputy rapporteur for program 178 “Employment and Preparation of Forces – Air,” recommended increasing the target to 50 aircraft, particularly in light of the potential transfer of Mirage 2000-5Fs to Ukraine.
The Mirage 2000D, a two-seat, all-weather conventional ground-attack aircraft, entered service in 1993. It is powered by a single Snecma M53 P2 engine delivering 9.7 tonnes of thrust, with a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a ceiling of 15,240 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight of 16,500 kg. The aircraft measures 14.54 meters in length, with a wingspan of 9.13 meters and a height of 5.10 meters. Its crew consists of one pilot and one weapon systems officer (Navigateur Officier Système d’Armes, NOSA).
The RMV program, initiated to address system obsolescence and extend the aircraft’s operational relevance beyond 2030, includes the integration of the CC422 30mm cannon pod derived from the Mirage F1’s CC420. Ground tests of the pod were conducted in 2018, followed by pre-series integration tests in 2019 and in-flight validation in 2020. The cannon pod is mounted on the left forward fuselage station.
The upgrade also replaces the Magic II missiles with MICA IR for self-defense and incorporates the Link 16 tactical data link, new VHF-FM radios, and updated avionics. The aircraft is now compatible with the Thales TALIOS targeting pod, which replaces earlier systems such as ATLIS II, PDL CTS, and Damocles. TALIOS supports both targeting and tactical reconnaissance with high-resolution color imagery and embedded artificial intelligence.
The RMV standard includes enhanced mission software, touchscreen displays, improved navigation systems, and an open architecture capable of integrating additional systems. The aircraft is now qualified to carry a wide range of precision-guided munitions, including GBU-12, -16, -22, -24A/B, -48, -49, and -50, AASM, SCALP-EG cruise missiles, and laser-guided rockets. The TALIOS pod enables real-time video transmission via the ROVER system to ground operators for fire coordination.
The upgrade process was coordinated by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), which tasked Dassault Aviation and MBDA Missile Systems with the modernization of 55 aircraft. Test and evaluation activities began in 2016 and were conducted at the DGA’s flight test center (DGA-EV), using four Mirage aircraft, including Mirage 2000Ds with serial numbers 644, 676, and 673, and Mirage 2000B serial number 501. Testing included integration of new avionics, external tanks, and electronic intelligence payloads. Mirage 673 conducted multiple test flights with TALIOS and the new fuel tanks in December 2021.
The Mirage 2000D RMV fleet is expected to remain in service until at least 2035. After that date, the Rafale will become the sole multirole fighter in French service. (Picture source: French Air Force)
The upgraded aircraft underwent operational evaluations at Air Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan with the 1/30 “Côte d’Argent” Fighter Experiment Squadron (ECE), which received the first RMV aircraft, serial number 639, on 7 January 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, further aircraft, including serial numbers 622, 637, 640, 641, 646, and 655, were delivered to ECE 1/30. Mirage 622 and 639 were deployed to Djibouti in July 2021 for environmental and weapons testing alongside Mirage 2000-5F aircraft from EC 3/11 “Corse.” These trials validated the new configurations in high-temperature conditions, including the use of the CC422 cannon pod and TALIOS system.
The Mirage 2000D fleet has also supported operations from airbases in Jordan (H4), the UAE (Al Dhafra), and Niger (Niamey), including Operation Barkhane and Operation Chammal. In early 2022, aircraft were deployed to the Sahel region, though the specific host country was not disclosed.
The aircraft continue to operate from Air Base 133 Nancy-Ochey, where the 3rd Fighter Wing includes EC 1/3 “Navarre,” EC 2/3 “Champagne,” and EC 3/3 “Ardennes.” As of 2021, operational availability of Mirage 2000Ds had dropped below 33%, prompting plans to reorganize the fleet. EC 2/3 “Champagne” was designated to become the training squadron for the RMV standard from 2023 onward, with a fleet of Mirage 2000B trainers transferred from the disbanded EC 2/5 “Ile-de-France” squadron at BA115 Orange. These trainers will also support future Mirage 2000-5F pilot training for EC 1/2 “Cigognes.”
The Mirage 2000D RMV fleet is expected to remain in service until at least 2035. After that date, the Rafale will become the sole multirole fighter in French service. The French Air Force (AAE) plans to maintain a total of 225 combat aircraft as outlined in the 2013 White Paper on Defense and National Security, comprising 180 Rafale and 45 Mirage 2000s, including the RMV and 2000-5F variants. The RMV program, estimated at €530 million for 55 aircraft, is intended to ensure force structure continuity while managing Rafale fleet availability and costs. The program has also been designed to account for attrition, as highlighted by the loss of a Mirage 2000D in Mali in July 2021, following a technical malfunction. The crew was safely recovered.
Test units and combat squadrons have noted that fewer than 30% of Mirage 2000Ds previously had the full configuration necessary for all operational missions. The modernization standardizes equipment, resolves these limitations, and ensures the aircraft can fulfill a wider range of tasks, including close air support, deep strike, and tactical reconnaissance. As of early 2025, approximately half of the Mirage 2000D fleet at BA 133 operates in the RMV configuration. The full fleet is expected to be modernized by 2026.
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As reported by Laurent Lagneau on March 26, 2025, the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, AAE) will receive a total of 50 Mirage 2000D aircraft upgraded under the Rénovation Mi-Vie (RMV, Mid-Life Upgrade) program, two more than previously planned. On 26 March 2025, the Ministry of the Armed Forces stated that 47 modernized aircraft were delivered in 2024 and that three more are scheduled for delivery in 2025. This adjustment was not mentioned in the Ministry’s 2025 defense budget press kit, which emphasized the delivery of 14 Rafale aircraft.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The RMV program, initiated to address system obsolescence and extend the aircraft’s operational relevance beyond 2030, includes the integration of the CC422 30mm cannon pod derived from the Mirage F1’s CC420. (Picture source: French Air Force)
Initially outlined in the 2009–2014 Military Programming Law (Loi de programmation militaire, LPM), the Mirage 2000D RMV program was delayed multiple times despite being described as essential by the AAE. The upgrade project was launched in 2018 with a revised goal of modernizing 55 out of the 71 Mirage 2000Ds then operated by the 3rd Fighter Wing. However, the 2024–2030 LPM reduced the target to 48 aircraft. The final adjustment to 50 appears to have occurred without prior public announcement. In a recent parliamentary report, Frank Giletti, the deputy rapporteur for program 178 “Employment and Preparation of Forces – Air,” recommended increasing the target to 50 aircraft, particularly in light of the potential transfer of Mirage 2000-5Fs to Ukraine.
The Mirage 2000D, a two-seat, all-weather conventional ground-attack aircraft, entered service in 1993. It is powered by a single Snecma M53 P2 engine delivering 9.7 tonnes of thrust, with a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, a ceiling of 15,240 meters, and a maximum takeoff weight of 16,500 kg. The aircraft measures 14.54 meters in length, with a wingspan of 9.13 meters and a height of 5.10 meters. Its crew consists of one pilot and one weapon systems officer (Navigateur Officier Système d’Armes, NOSA).
The RMV program, initiated to address system obsolescence and extend the aircraft’s operational relevance beyond 2030, includes the integration of the CC422 30mm cannon pod derived from the Mirage F1’s CC420. Ground tests of the pod were conducted in 2018, followed by pre-series integration tests in 2019 and in-flight validation in 2020. The cannon pod is mounted on the left forward fuselage station.
The upgrade also replaces the Magic II missiles with MICA IR for self-defense and incorporates the Link 16 tactical data link, new VHF-FM radios, and updated avionics. The aircraft is now compatible with the Thales TALIOS targeting pod, which replaces earlier systems such as ATLIS II, PDL CTS, and Damocles. TALIOS supports both targeting and tactical reconnaissance with high-resolution color imagery and embedded artificial intelligence.
The RMV standard includes enhanced mission software, touchscreen displays, improved navigation systems, and an open architecture capable of integrating additional systems. The aircraft is now qualified to carry a wide range of precision-guided munitions, including GBU-12, -16, -22, -24A/B, -48, -49, and -50, AASM, SCALP-EG cruise missiles, and laser-guided rockets. The TALIOS pod enables real-time video transmission via the ROVER system to ground operators for fire coordination.
The upgrade process was coordinated by the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), which tasked Dassault Aviation and MBDA Missile Systems with the modernization of 55 aircraft. Test and evaluation activities began in 2016 and were conducted at the DGA’s flight test center (DGA-EV), using four Mirage aircraft, including Mirage 2000Ds with serial numbers 644, 676, and 673, and Mirage 2000B serial number 501. Testing included integration of new avionics, external tanks, and electronic intelligence payloads. Mirage 673 conducted multiple test flights with TALIOS and the new fuel tanks in December 2021.
The Mirage 2000D RMV fleet is expected to remain in service until at least 2035. After that date, the Rafale will become the sole multirole fighter in French service. (Picture source: French Air Force)
The upgraded aircraft underwent operational evaluations at Air Base 118 Mont-de-Marsan with the 1/30 “Côte d’Argent” Fighter Experiment Squadron (ECE), which received the first RMV aircraft, serial number 639, on 7 January 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, further aircraft, including serial numbers 622, 637, 640, 641, 646, and 655, were delivered to ECE 1/30. Mirage 622 and 639 were deployed to Djibouti in July 2021 for environmental and weapons testing alongside Mirage 2000-5F aircraft from EC 3/11 “Corse.” These trials validated the new configurations in high-temperature conditions, including the use of the CC422 cannon pod and TALIOS system.
The Mirage 2000D fleet has also supported operations from airbases in Jordan (H4), the UAE (Al Dhafra), and Niger (Niamey), including Operation Barkhane and Operation Chammal. In early 2022, aircraft were deployed to the Sahel region, though the specific host country was not disclosed.
The aircraft continue to operate from Air Base 133 Nancy-Ochey, where the 3rd Fighter Wing includes EC 1/3 “Navarre,” EC 2/3 “Champagne,” and EC 3/3 “Ardennes.” As of 2021, operational availability of Mirage 2000Ds had dropped below 33%, prompting plans to reorganize the fleet. EC 2/3 “Champagne” was designated to become the training squadron for the RMV standard from 2023 onward, with a fleet of Mirage 2000B trainers transferred from the disbanded EC 2/5 “Ile-de-France” squadron at BA115 Orange. These trainers will also support future Mirage 2000-5F pilot training for EC 1/2 “Cigognes.”
The Mirage 2000D RMV fleet is expected to remain in service until at least 2035. After that date, the Rafale will become the sole multirole fighter in French service. The French Air Force (AAE) plans to maintain a total of 225 combat aircraft as outlined in the 2013 White Paper on Defense and National Security, comprising 180 Rafale and 45 Mirage 2000s, including the RMV and 2000-5F variants. The RMV program, estimated at €530 million for 55 aircraft, is intended to ensure force structure continuity while managing Rafale fleet availability and costs. The program has also been designed to account for attrition, as highlighted by the loss of a Mirage 2000D in Mali in July 2021, following a technical malfunction. The crew was safely recovered.
Test units and combat squadrons have noted that fewer than 30% of Mirage 2000Ds previously had the full configuration necessary for all operational missions. The modernization standardizes equipment, resolves these limitations, and ensures the aircraft can fulfill a wider range of tasks, including close air support, deep strike, and tactical reconnaissance. As of early 2025, approximately half of the Mirage 2000D fleet at BA 133 operates in the RMV configuration. The full fleet is expected to be modernized by 2026.
