SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Greece has extended an offer to India to acquire its fleet of French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets. This offer comes amidst a significant modernization effort for the Hellenic Air Force, which recently placed orders for both Rafale and F-35 jets.
General Dimitrios Houpis, Chief of the General Staff of the Defense Forces for Greece, visited India this month and presented the offer as per people familiar with matter told idrw.org. Greece in 2000 purchased 15 Mirage 2000-5s from Dassault Aviation, including five two-seat 2000-5BG trainers and ten single-seat 2000-5EG fighters.
The offered Mirage 2000-5s are a valuable proposition due to their relatively young age. Being less than 25 years old, these jets boast airworthy airframes with an estimated operational life of another 10-15 years.
This offer holds particular significance for India, which already operates a fleet of 50 Mirage 2000-5 fighters. The Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly has expressed interest in acquiring Two Mirage 2000-5 trainers for pilot training, potentially making the Greek offer highly relevant.
While details remain undisclosed, it’s unclear if the IAF will choose to acquire all 15 Mirage 2000-5s offered by Greece. The decision will likely involve a cost-benefit analysis considering India’s existing fleet and specific training requirements.
IAF has plans to operate the Mirage-2000 fleet till 2035 when it will be replaced by the Tejas MkII fighter jets that are under development.
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