Posted on 10/01/2013 12:19:05 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
French Air Force’s Nuclear Deterrence Drills with the Mirage 2000N
The French Air Force have conveyed a complex drill whose aim was to test the nuclear capability of the service, the French Ministry of Defence said.
The exercise featured a Mirage 2000N jet carrying ASMP-A missiles and took place on Sept. 23, 2013.
The scenario featured a single Mirage 2000N from 2/4 La Fayette Squadron, based in Avord AB in a mission that lasted 3 hours.
The fighter flew to the operative area at high altitude, joined a C-135FR tanker for in-flight refueling then turned towards the target, low level, using terrain to avoid radar detection and infiltrate the enemy territory.
The ASMP-A missile (of course without the warhead) hit the target as planned.
The ASMP-A missiles are the main French nuclear deterrent since 2009. This is a new generation of ASMP missile with an enhanced, longer range of 500-600 km.
Both Mirage 2000N and Rafale can carry the ASMP-A. Besides that, French nuclear assets include the Le Triomphrant submarines carrying ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles).
Jacek Siminski for TheAviationist
Image Credit: French Air Force
You know what they say, if you got it, flaunt it.
Based on the picture, the threat must be on the right.
LOL! Cruel, but funny.
The Mirage 2000 is a beautiful plane. In fact I always liked all of Dassault’s designs.
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