Recently two fighter jets have crashed down in Madhya Pradesh and the reason behind the incident is still in search. Here’s an understanding on the two fighter jets name-‘Mirage 2000’, ‘Sukhoi-30’.
Mirage 2000 is the most capable fighter jet of the Indian Air Force and is another French-made fighter jet named Dassault Mirage 2000. This is a single engine, fourth generation fighter jet manufactured by the Dassault Aviation.
India has signed the deal of the fighter jets with France back in mid 1980s and later in 2011 it has signed a $2.4 billion deal with France to upgrade 51 Mirage 2000 fighter jets. This fighter jet is ad dedicated nuclear-strike variant, which intended to carry Air-Sol Moyenne Portee (ASMP) nuclear standoff missile. Initial flight of the Mirage 2000D prototype, a modified Mirage 2000N prototype, was on 19 February 1991. Dassault built an estimated 580 Mirage-2000s over a course of 30 years and the jet was replaced with Rafale, also a part of IAF.
Mirage 2000 is one of the versatile and deadliest aircraft called “Vajra”, which means lightening thunderbolt in Sanskrit. India placed an initial order of 36 single-seater Mirage-2000 and 4 twin-seater Mirage 2000 in 1982 as an answer to Pakistan buying US-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin. In addition to this IAF has placed an order of 10 Mirage 2000 planes later in 2004, taking the total to 50 jets.
The engine pushes the jet to a maximum speed of Mach 2.2 (2336 kmph) and can travel 1550 km with drop tanks. The flight height is capped at 59000 ft (17km). It has a single shaft SNECMA M53 engine that is light and simple compared to other fighter jets.
Mirage 2000 has a fly-by-wire flight control system and has a Sextant VE-130 HUD, which displays data related to flight control, navigation, target engagement, and weapon firing. In terms of the armament, the Mirage 2000 can carry laser guided bombs, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and has Thomson-CSF RDY (Radar Doppler Multi-target) radar on board.
Mirage has been sent out for various operations throughout and has played an important part during the Balakote air strike in 2019 and Kargil war 1999. Due to its load-carrying capacity, precision, Laser Guided Bombs and latest technology updates it has made the Surgical Strike an easy play out.
Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twin jet multirole air superiority fighter jet developed by Russia. The fighter jet was designed by the Russia’s Sukhoi Corporation in 1995 and built under the license of India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It has a fusion of technology from Su-37 demonstrator and Su-30 program, making it more advance than the baseline Su-30.
On 30 November 1996, India signed a US$1.462 billion deal with Sukhoi for 50 Russian-produced Su-30MKIs in five batches. The first batches were eight Su-30Ks, the basic export version of Su-30 (designated Su-30MKI-I by India). The second batch of 10 were also Su-30Ks, but equipped with French and Israeli avionics (designated Su-30MKI-I by India). The third batches were to be 10 Su-30MKIs featuring canard fore planes. The fourth batch of 12 Su-30MKIs and fifth batch of 10 Su-30MKIs were to have the AL-31FP turbofans.
The aircraft is tailor-made for Indian specifications and integrates Indian systems and avionics as well as French and Israeli sub-systems. IAF has nearly 260 Su-30MKIs in inventory as of January 2020. Su-30MKI is expected to form the backbone of the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet to 2020 and beyond. It is a heavy, all-weather, long-range fighter.
The jet is armed with a 30mm Gsh-30-1 cannon with 150 rounds of ammunition and features 12 hard points capable of carrying external stores of up to 8t. The aircraft can launch a range of air-to-surface missiles, including Kh-29L/T/TYe, Kh-31A/P, Kh-59M and Nirbhay. Also carry Vympel-built R-27R, R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles, as well as rocket pods, KAB-500 and KAB-1500 laser-guided bombs. The jet has a tarag radar warning receiver developed by the Defense Research and Development Organisation.
Four Sukhoi Su-30MKIs escorted Mirage 2000s into the Pakistani airspace for the Balakote air strike on an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed camp. The fighter jet has been sent out on various operations during the course. In June 2010, India and France began the fourth round of their joint air exercises, "Garuda", at the Istres Air Base in France.
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