Lessons Unlearned? India’s Acquisition Of Rafale Raises Specter Of Mirage 2000 Challenges – Analysis

A team from Qatar visited India and met Indian Air Force (IAF) officials to discuss buying 12 used Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France. Reports suggest that the used jets are in good condition, with at least 30% of their airframe life remaining.

The IAF has been using Mirage 2000 jets since they were bought from France in the mid-to-late-1980s. These jets played a vital role in the Kargil War, destroying Pakistani supply centres with laser-guided bombs. They were also used in the Balakot air strikes to destroy a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training centre in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The engines of the Qatari jets are the same as those in the IAF’s Mirages, which will make maintenance simpler. The price for the 12 jets is set at Rs 5,000 crore. Experts say this is quite expensive, almost the same as buying a new Tejas Mk-1A fighter jet, even though the Tejas comes with more advanced features.

The Qatari jets are reportedly the Mirage 2000 Dash 1 model, while the IAF uses the more advanced Dash-2 version. This makes the Qatari jets less advanced than those of the IAF. To make the deal more attractive, Qatar is also including some Mica air-to-air missiles with the jets.

The IAF previously acquired some French Mirage 2000 jets to use their parts for repairs and maintenance. Additionally, there are reports that Greece is offering 18 Mirage 2000 jets, many of which are still in good working condition. Some of these jets are even ready for missions. If these jets are acquired, they will quickly boost the IAF’s combat power and could help address some of the gaps in their fighter jet fleet, even if only partially.

The IAF’s current Mirage fleet has several major issues. These include not having a new engine, advanced AESA radar, built-in electronic warfare systems, the ability to operate in network-centric warfare and the latest weapon systems. The IAF has a challenging job ahead to keep its Mirage aircraft up-to-date for the future.

The earlier mentioned improvements, like new engines and advanced radar, can be added through upgrades. However, the airframe has a limited lifespan and Dassault Aviation stopped making these aircraft 10 years ago. This makes getting essential spare parts a difficult and slow process. This makes it hard for the IAF to keep the aircraft in flying condition for the future.

Controversial Upgrade: India's Mirage 2000-H Deal with Thales

In 2011, India made a deal with French company Thales to upgrade 51 Mirage 2000-H aircraft to the 2000-5 standard. The upgrade package, costing between $2.1 and $2.2 billion (Rs 17,000-18,000 crore approximately), planned for two aircraft to be upgraded at Thales’s facility in France, while the rest would be upgraded at HAL’s facility in India, according to The Diplomat.

The upgrades included improvements to the aircraft’s electronic systems, adding modern electronic warfare technology, enhancing the navigation systems, installing a glass cockpit and updating the weapons systems. These changes aim to make the aircraft more advanced and effective. However, the upgrade package cost sparked controversy and delays, dragging the process on for over 10 years.

IAF Secures Retired French Mirages for Fleet Maintenance

In 2021, the IAF agreed to buy 24 retired Mirage aircraft from the French government for 27 million euros (Rs 243 crores approximately). These planes will be used for spare parts and components to help keep the IAF’s current Mirage fleet in good condition through upgrades. This was the second agreement the IAF signed to keep the Mirage fleet running smoothly. In 2020, they made a deal with the French Air Force to buy 16 retired Mirage planes.

Transitioning from Mirage: Nations Upgrade to Rafale Jets

The Mirage aircraft has served in the IAF for nearly 40 years. Around the world, many countries are replacing them with newer, more advanced planes. For instance, the UAE and Greece are buying Rafale jets to replace their old Mirage 2000 fleets. In 2023, the UAE agreed to buy 80 Rafale jets and Greece signed a deal in 2020 to purchase 18 Rafale jets.

Extending Mirage 2000 Service Amid Delays in LCA Mark II

Weapon systems have a set lifespan, after which they may become unsafe, or less effective. A midlife upgrade can improve their performance by updating such key parts as avionics, weapons, electronic warfare systems and communication tools. Sometimes, even the engine gets replaced during upgrades. For India’s Mirage jets, almost everything has been upgraded except the engine.

The IAF plans to replace the Mirage 2000 with the new indigenous light combat aircraft Mark II. However, delays in its development mean the Mirage 2000 will now stay in service until beyond 2040, even though it was originally set to retire by 2030.

Challenges of Off-the-Shelf Aircraft Acquisitions for India

The problem is that the Mirage aircraft were never built in India under a licence, unlike such other planes as the MiG-21, which were made locally in India. Even though the MiG 21 has been in service for nearly 60 years, it has not had problems with spare parts. This is because India has the technology to produce the aircraft and its spare parts locally.

But this is not true for the Mirage aircraft, which were bought ready-to-fly and were not produced in India. India may face similar problems with the Rafale aircraft because they were bought ready-to-fly, instead of being made in India under a licence as initially planned.

Future-Proofing the Maintenance of the Rafale Fleet

To ensure that spare parts and maintenance will not be an issue, India may have to buy more Rafale jets through the 114 multi-role fighter aircraft tender. This move could help set up a production line within the country. This would make sure there are no problems with maintenance and getting spare parts throughout the aircraft’s life.