The French Air and Space Force will conduct practice firings from newly refurbished Mirage 2000D multirole aircraft from Cazaux Air Base until the end of June 2025.
Deploying around 15 aircraft and approximately 150 airmen, the 3rd Fighter Wing will undertake ground attack and aerial cannon firing to test the mid-life upgrades made to the legacy aircraft for the first time.
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“The main objective of this campaign is to maintain personnel skills in aerial firing of war-ready weapons as well as to develop cannon firing skills,” a statement from the French Armed Forces confirmed on 28 May.
Mid-life upgrade
The mid-life upgrade, which began in 2016, and concluded in April 2025, has now designated the aircraft: Mirage 2000 D RMV.
This renovation included optimised weapons systems, improved connectivity and intelligence gathering, and a modernised cockpit. In total, 50 of 66 aircraft are now equipped with the new technological suite.
Technical specialists have developed onboard software for RMV since 2017. This modernisation of the navigation and attack systems allows the crews to have, on the ground and then in flight, a detailed vision of the situation thanks to the continuous updates and sharing of tactical data.
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Weapons testing
In particular, the campaign will demonstrate the integration of a 30 millimetre cannon pod on the aircraft, designed to provide crews with close-quarter fire support, improving their effectiveness in ground attack missions. The weapon system will also make use of MICA infrared combat missiles (replacing the Magic 2) specialised in short-range self-defence.
Moreover, the fighters benefit from a renovated architecture of the weapons system allowing the integration of precision weapons, such as the GBU-48 and GBU-50 laser-guided bombs.
Commissioned in 1993, the Mirage 2000D specialises in ground attack missions. In all weather conditions, day and night, the fighter can operate at very low altitudes and very high speeds.
In the past, the MBDA Storm Shadow/Scalp EG stand-off cruise missile has armed French Mirage 2000Ds, and first entered service in 2003.
