Following the successful Mirage 2000 update programs in Greece and the United Arab Emirates, Dassault and Thales have joined forces with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to provide a similar upgrade for the Indian air force’s Mirage fleet. India received 95 first-generation Mirage 2000 fighters in varying configurations and has found the type a very useful asset over the years. In addition to air-to-air roles, the Mirage has served as a precision bomber, carrying ATLIS II designation pods to deliver laser-guided bombs. In this role it saw action in the Kargil conflict in 1999.
In early July 2007, Dassault, Thales and HAL signed a partnership deal, submitting an offer to the Indian air force covering a Mirage 2000 upgrade immediately afterward. The proposed upgrade is based on the RDY-2 radar and is an adaptation of the existing 2000-5 Mk 2 and 2000-9 configurations, albeit with provisions to integrate existing and planned Indian equipment. The team must respond to an official request for information by the end of this month, following which the Indian government will decide whether to proceed. According to vice president, electronic combat solutions at Thales Aerospace, Gérard Christmann, that decision is expected toward the end of this year or early in 2009.
