Upgraded Mirage 2000D RMV enters service
April 17, 2025
The Mirage 2000D RMV has entered service with the three squadrons of Escadre de Chasse 3 at Base Aerienne 133 Nancy-Ochey, supplanting the original Mirage 2000. Major General Vincent Chusseau, Deputy Chief of Plans and Programs for the Armée de l’Air et de l’Éspace (French Air and Space Force or FASF) General Staff noted that the upgrade had taken: “Nine years to go from concept to reality, from paper to aircraft, from idea to operational commitment. A short decade of work, research, testing, adjustments, and training. Behind this success are the engineers, technicians, mechanics, and Airmen who, with determination and rigor, have enabled this aircraft to reach a new milestone.”
The Mirage 2000D RMV upgrade embodies the service’s commitment to maintaining an agile, modern, and resolutely operational combat posture. The RMV mid-life upgrade project was commissioned by the French defence procurement agency (Direction Générale de l’Armament or DGA) in 2016, two years after it was approved under the 2014 Military Programing Law (LPM).
From 1-20 July, 2021, the Armée de l’Air et de l’Éspace conducted a test campaign in Djibouti with two Mirage 2000D RMVs. The aircraft, drawn from the Escadron de Chasse et d’Expérimentation 1/30 ‘Côte d’Argent’ at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan, deployed to Base Aérienne 188 Djibouti to test the Mirage 2000D RMV in realistic and hot and high combat conditions.
Testing has included extensive trials of the new CC422 cannon pod. The gun was tested at Cazaux in 2018 and 2019 to validate “the operation, capabilities and precision,” of the podded cannon. On 7 March 2025, the Armée de l’Air et de l’Éspace shared a video of a Mirage 2000D RMV successfully firing the CC422 against a ground target, hailing this as a “major milestone” in the Mid-Life Upgrade programme.
Escadre de Chasse 3 (the 3rd Fighter Wing) received its first Mirage 2000D RMV In the summer of 2022, at Nancy-Ochey, and it was reported that 47 had been delivered by the end of 2024. The upgrade had initially been expected to modify 71 Mirage 2000D airframes, but the total was reduced to 55 and then 50 aircraft. The upgrade will keep the 50 modified aircraft operationally relevant for at least another ten years,
The FASF called the Mirage 2000D a “symbol of precision and reliability,” which the comprehensive RMV modernization program has adapted for contemporary conflicts, with “New optimised weapons systems, improved connectivity and intelligence gathering, and a modernised cockpit all combining to make this aircraft a platform resolutely geared toward a rapidly changing environment.”
The Mirage 2000D was previously dedicated to the air-to-ground role, conducting precision strikes against ground targets using conventional weapons. The Rénovation Mi-Vie (RMV) mid-life upgrade programme will transform the Mirage 2000D into a multi-role fighter capable of operating alongside the newer Dassault Rafale.
The cockpit systems have been completely overhauled, with the integration of larger new digital displays, providing a more intuitive and digital interface to enhance pilot situational awareness. The aircraft also gained a new mission computer, powered by PANDA, LION, SINGE and LIANE mission software. The onboard software of the Mirage 2000D RMV has been under development since 2017 by the Operational Information Systems and Cyberdefense Squadron (ESIOC) of the Base Aerienne 118 at Mont-de-Marsan.
The upgraded aircraft also has modernised navigation and attack systems.
A French Air and Space Force spokesperson noted that: “Thanks to the new onboard architecture and improved ergonomics, pilots can now better manage complex missions, especially in environments saturated with modern air-defence systems.”
Key armament improvements include the integration of a fixed CC422 30-mm gun pod, installed under the left engine intake and containing a DEFA 550 F3 30-mm cannon, with a 250-round magazine. The pod was derived from the CC420 pod carried by the Mirage F1B.
The original baseline Mirage 2000D was not equipped with an internal gun or guns, having been derived from the dedicated nuclear strike Mirage 2000N which was similarly not fitted with cannon armament.
For self defence, the Mirage 2000D RMV is equipped with the MBDA MICA IR infrared-guided short-range air-to-air missile. This replaced the older Magic II missile, significantly expanding the aircraft’s combat capabilities. By 2025, the Mirage 2000D was the only aircraft in French service still using the ageing Magic II for self defence.
The original Mirage 2000D was armed with Paveway II and III laser-guided bombs and the MBDA SCALP cruise missile. These are retained by the Mirage 2000D RMV. The upgraded aircraft have been adapted to carry GBU-48 and GBU-50 Enhanced Paveway II dual-mode GPS and laser-guided bombs, enhancing operational versatility.
The Mirage 2000D RMV used the Thales TALIOS (Targeting Long-range Identification Optronic System) targeting pod instead of the older ATLIS II, PDL CTS, and Damocles pods used by the basic Mirage 2000D variant. It can also be equipped with the podded ASTAC (Analyseur de signaux tactiques) electronic warfare system.
The modernised Mirage 2000D RMV aircraft is now considered to be a key component of France’s air power, ready to support national and international missions if required. In scenarios involving extended-range operations, the fighters can undertake air-to-air refuelling from Airbus A330 MRTT or A400M Atlas aircraft equipped with hose-and-drogue refuelling systems.
