The French Air and Space Force has bid farewell to the Dassault Mirage 2000C fighter jet. The type was retired during a ceremony at Orange-Caritat Air Base on June 23, 2022.
Escadron de Chasse 2/5 Île-de-France, the last unit to operate the type, is in the process of transitioning to the Dassault Rafale, France’s latest fighter jet and a successor to the Mirage.
#Hommage Aujourd’hui, 23 juin, a lieu le retrait de service du Mirage 2000C RDI et la mise en sommeil de l’escadron de chasse 2/5 « Île-de-France » sur la BA 115 d’Orange. Après 33 années passées au service des ailes françaises, le Mirage 2000C RDI passe le relais au Rafale. pic.twitter.com/eTuo7iM6Dd
— Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (@Armee_de_lair) June 23, 2022
The Mirage 2000C was the first in the family of fourth-generation Mirage 2000 fighter jets, and the second to be retired after the nuclear-capable Mirage 2000N.
Loosely based on the Mirage III, the Mirage 2000 entered development in the 1970s and entered service in 1983, becoming France’s first fourth-generation fighter.
Following the retirement of the Mirage 2000C, the Mirage 2000D ground attack variant and the Mirage 2000-5 interceptor are the only Mirage remaining in the French service.
Besides France, Brazil was the only other country to operate the Mirage 2000C, before retiring the aircraft in 2013. Numerous export versions of the jet, such as the Mirage 2000H and Mirage 2000 P, remain in service with various countries across the world.