December
26, 2006: India is going to upgrade its 52 Mirage 2000 fighters, at a cost of
$35 million each. The aircraft will get new radar and fire control systems, as
well as modern electronic warfare systems and digital communications. The
upgrade price includes a supply (quantity unspecified) of MICA, long range (50
kilometers) radar guided missiles. These cost about $600,000 each and are
similar to the U.S. AMRAAM. Other components (like the airframe and engines)
would also be refurbished. After the upgrade, the twenty year old Mirage 2000s
would be good for another twenty.
While
expensive, the upgrade would turn the Mirage 2000 fighters into long range
air-to-air killers. These aircraft could very efficiently knock down their
Pakistani opponents (which are equipped with less capable Chinese FD-60 long
range missiles.) However, Pakistan is also getting 18 new F-16 fighters, along
with 500 AMRAAM long range air-to-air missiles. The Indians expect the French
to provide electronic warfare equipment that can give AMRAAM a hard time. How
well that works won't be seen until, and if, there's another large scale war between
India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, India, with it's upgraded Mirage 2000s, and new
Su-30s, will have a quality edge over it's primary opponent in the region;
Pakistan.
