Qatar Offers to sell Indian Air Force 12 Mirage 2000 Fighter Jets

Mirage 2000 Jet

A distinguished delegation from Qatar is in New Delhi to negotiate the potential sale of 12 "sparingly used" Mirage 2000 jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF), as reported by The Economic Times. This deal aims to bolster the IAF's fleet at a time when its older MiG fighters are being gradually phased out.

Sources informed ET that the IAF's two Mirage squadrons could benefit from the addition of these Qatari aircraft, which are upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5 modernization standards. Although the French-built Mirage 2000s are no longer in production, they are expected to remain a key part of India's air fleet for another decade. The final cost of the deal, estimated to be between Rs 6,000 and 7,000 crore, will be determined after a thorough assessment of the planes. The aircraft's remaining flight hours will be a critical factor in this evaluation, with significant residual life expected to benefit the current squadrons.

The deal includes the delivery of the aircraft with weapons and spares, and India is expected to negotiate firmly. The existing infrastructure at Gwalior, including ground equipment, maintenance facilities, and trained pilots and technical support staff, will facilitate the seamless integration of these jets into the IAF. The Mirage 2000, known for its reliability and precision armament, has been preferred by India for attack missions, including the precision strikes at terror training camps in Balakot in 2019.

The IAF has been facing a shortage of combat aircraft due to delays in replacing its ageing MiG-21s. While 36 Rafale jets have been ordered, the original requirement was for 126 jets of the same class.