Dassault Mirage 2000N
France's low-level nuclear strike two-seater, armed with the ASMP missile · First flight 1983 · In service 1988
The Mirage 2000N was developed from the two-seat 2000B to replace the Mirage IVA in France's airborne nuclear deterrent. The airframe was strengthened for sustained low-level flight and fitted with the Antilope 5 radar for automatic terrain following. Flight tests of the two prototypes began on 3 February 1983, and the type entered operational service in 1988.
Its main weapon was the ASMP (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée), a ramjet-powered stand-off nuclear missile carried under the fuselage; the final K3 standard was adapted for the improved ASMP-A. Seventy-five were built, and the 2000N served for three decades before the last aircraft were retired on 21 June 2018, handing the role to the Rafale.
The 2000N was also famous on the airshow circuit: Ramex Delta, a pair of 2000Ns from EC 02.004 "La Fayette", flew tight, low-level tactical displays across Europe, with its final public show at the Royal International Air Tattoo in July 2016. Its successor team, Couteau Delta, flies the Mirage 2000D.
