Crystal Clear
IAF Mirage 2000 upgraded to ‘FOC’ spec, displayed for the first time with Popeye ASM (‘Crystal Maze’)
After several years of discussion and negotiation, the Indian Government signed a $2.5 bn contract to upgrade the IAF’s fleet of 51 Mirage 2000H/TH on 29 July 2011. The programme, involving Dassault Aviation and Thales in France and HAL in India, was based on the Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2 standard, but with certain India-specific customisations. Among the changes planned for the IAF’s Mirages were a night vision goggle- compatible 5-screen glass cockpit, new navigational systems, advanced Identification Friend or Foe ( IFF) system, on- board oxygen generation system (OBOGS), new Thales RDY-2 multi-mode radar, fully integrated electronic warfare/ self- protection suite and new weapons and datalinks. The principal avionics improvement is the Modular Data Processing Unit (MDPU) as designed for the Rafale, which outperforms the Mirage 2000-5’s 2084 XRI mission computer by orders of magnitude, to say nothing of the legacy system on the IAF Mirages. The MDPU serves as a mission computer, sensor and data fusion system, and manages the nav-attack system and cockpit displays along with virtually all operational functions.
The first French- upgraded ( IOC) aircraft, KT201 (the first twin-seat Mirage 2000TH built for the IAF) made its maiden flight at Istres- Le Tube on 5 October 2013. KF107, a single-seater, flew shortly thereafter and the two aircraft were then comprehensively flight-tested in a campaign lasting over 250 flying hours (see Vayu Issue III/2015).
Following the upgrades of KT201 and KF107 in France, the remainder of the IAF’s Mirage 2000 fleet (47 aircraft) is being upgraded in India by HAL, to the definitive FOC standard, which involves integration of India-specific weapons and systems, such as the Rafael Popeye standoff strike missile (referred to as ‘Crystal Maze’ by the IAF) and Elbit’s Display And Sight Helmet ( DASH). The Israeli additions require use of the MIL-STD-1553B data bus, while the Mirage internally employs the legacy Digibus data transfer system (a similar transmission concept to 1553, but using a different implementation), so HAL has independently added and certified the 1553B bus to the Mirage 2000I/TI, interfacing with the legacy Digibus via Ethernet. According to a source close to the programme, this 1553B implementation will enable easier integration of non-French weapons and sensors to the aircraft in the future, given the ubiquity of the standard. In addition, the upgrade programme has been used as an opportunity to involve new as well as established Indian private sector industrial partners, such as Axis Aerospace & Technologies, Avio India, Centum, Rangsons Electronics and Samtel.
KT201 was the first IOC-upgraded Mirage to be modified to the FOC configuration by HAL, and made its first flight as an FOC Mirage 2000TI on 28 July 2016. The same aircraft was displayed on the ground at Aero India 2017, showcasing its new weapons fit of MICA AAMs and Popeye ASM in public for the first time.