Editing Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D (section)

==Operational history==

===Operation Deny Flight and Deliberate Force===
[[File:U.S 109th Airlift Squadron C-130 H3 MOD 45162026.jpg|thumb|2000D 603 of [[Escadron de Chasse 3/3 Ardennes|3/3 "Ardennes"]] at Kandahar, 2010]]
[[File:Mirage 2000D accidenté en Afghanistan (2).jpg|thumb|An M88 Recovery Vehicle hoists the body of a crashed French Mirage 2000D aircraft of [[Nancy – Ochey Air Base]] during a recovery mission on 27 May 2011. The crash occurred in the Bakwa district of Regional Command West in Afghanistan.]]

French Mirage 2000s were prominent participants in UN and [[NATO]] air operations over the [[former Yugoslavia]]. On 30 August 1995 one Mirage 2000N-K2 was shot down over Bosnia by a MANPADS heat-seeking [[9K38 Igla]] missile fired by air defence units of [[Army of Republika Srpska]] during operation [[Deliberate Force]], prompting efforts to obtain improved defensive systems.<ref>{{cite web |author=ROGER COHENPublished: 11 December 1995 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/11/world/french-deadline-passes-with-no-word-from-serbs-on-pilots.html |title=French Deadline Passes With No Word From Serbs on Pilots – New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 December 1995 |access-date=15 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512175605/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/11/world/french-deadline-passes-with-no-word-from-serbs-on-pilots.html |archive-date=12 May 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Operation Enduring Freedom and ISAF===
AdA Mirage 2000Ds served in the intervention in Afghanistan in 2001–2002, operating in close conjunction with international forces and performing precision attacks with [[Laser-guided bomb|LGBs]].
The French Air Force deployed the Mirage 2000D to [[Manas Air Base]] in Kyrgyzstan from 2002 to 2004 to support coalition forces in Afghanistan. Then from 2004 to 2007, they stayed at [[Dushanbe]], Tajikistan.
In summer 2007, after the [[Rafale]] fighters have been removed from the theater of operations, 3 French Mirage 2000s were deployed to Afghanistan in support of NATO troops.
To shorten the response time to support [[NATO]] [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]] troops in southern Afghanistan, the aircraft moved to [[Kandahar International Airport]]. Three [[Rafale]] F2 and three Mirage 2000Ds operate from Kandahar in 2008.<ref>French Ministry of Defence, [http://www.defense.gouv.fr/ema_uk/overseas/afghanistan/breaking_news/08_02_12_afghanistan_rafale_carry_out_their_first_mission Rafales carry out their first mission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013020816/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/ema_uk/overseas/afghanistan/breaking_news/08_02_12_afghanistan_rafale_carry_out_their_first_mission |date=13 October 2008 }}, February 2008</ref>
On 24 May 2011, a French Air Force Mirage 2000D crashed 100 kilometers west of Farah. Both crew members successfully ejected and were recovered.<ref name="defensenews1">{{cite news|url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20110524/DEFSECT01/105240315/French-Fighter-Jet-Crashes-in-Afghanistan |title=French Fighter Jet Crashes in Afghanistan |work=Defense News |date=24 May 2011 |access-date=26 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630164856/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20110524/DEFSECT01/105240315/French-Fighter-Jet-Crashes-in-Afghanistan |archive-date=30 June 2012  }}</ref>

===Opération Harmattan and Unified Protector===
French Air Force Mirage 2000D were committed since the beginning to the enforcement of the Libyan no-fly-zone that was approved by the UN in March 2011.
The Mirage 2000Ds were among the first strikers: on 19 March 2011, a mixed French formation of Mirage 2000s and Rafales hit a Libyan army column that was heading for Benghazi with several vehicles destroyed.
The Mirage 2000D remained one of the most used striker for the next months when [[Opération Harmattan]] was succeeded by the UN led [[Operation Unified Protector]].
On 20 October 2011, a Mirage 2000D dropped the last NATO munitions of the war, when a mixed formation of a French Air Force Mirage 2000D and a Mirage F1CR was vectored to strike an armed convoy which was trying to break through the rebels' lines at Sirte. The Mirage 2000D dropped its two laser guided GBU-12 bombs hitting and stopping Gaddafi's convoy, resulting in [[Death of Muammar Gaddafi|his capture and death]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=182 |title=How Gaddafi's convoy was stopped by U.S. drone and French Air force fighter aircraft Mirage 2000 2210111 |publisher=Airrecognition.com |date=22 October 2011 |access-date=18 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204084537/http://www.airrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=182 |archive-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Operation Serval and Operation Barkhane===
French forces became actively involved in the [[Northern Mali conflict (2012–present)]] starting from 11 January 2013 with [[Operation Serval]].
The six Mirage 2000Ds based in N'Djamena, Chad for the long lasting [[Opération Épervier|French military presence in that country]], alongside the two Mirage F.1CR based there, were among the first forces committed to the conflict, bombing the Islamic militants’ bases and forces in Northern Mali.
The Mirages were flying with a similar configuration to the one used over Libya nearly two years before, with two 500&nbsp;lbs GBU-12 (laser) or GBU-49 (GPS and laser) guided bombs on the centerline pylon, and two external fuel tanks on the inboard wing pylons.

Starting from 17 January 2013, three of the Mirages were relocated in Bamako, Mali,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3zoSWL1HQo |title=Opération Serval – 17 janvier 2013. Mise en place de 3 Mirage 2000D à Bamako |publisher=YouTube |date=19 January 2013 |access-date=6 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310061700/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3zoSWL1HQo |archive-date=10 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> preceded by the two simpler Mirage F.1CR which started operating from Bamako few days before.<ref>{{cite news |author=Canada |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-mali-maelstrom-conflict-in-west-africa/article7379125/ |title=The Mali maelstrom: conflict in West Africa |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=15 January 2013 |access-date=26 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062321/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-mali-maelstrom-conflict-in-west-africa/article7379125/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Locally deployed Mirage 2000D/N French Air and Space Force aircraft keep supporting the successor [[Operation Barkhane]].

===Opération Chammal===
Starting on 19 September 2014, the French Air Force started [[Opération Chammal|striking]] the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] as part of an international effort against the terrorist organization. The strike force was initially composed of [[Dassault Rafale]] jets based in the Emirates. Later, the Rafales were sided by six Mirage 2000D, based in Jordan, starting from November 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/3-french-mirage-jet-fighters-deployed-in-jordan/ |title=3 French Mirage jet fighters deployed in Jordan |website=[[The Times of Israel]] |access-date=1 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401234857/http://www.timesofisrael.com/3-french-mirage-jet-fighters-deployed-in-jordan/ |archive-date=1 April 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Initially the strikes were limited to targets located in Iraq. Starting from September 2015, the strikes were extended over Syria as well.

On 21 August 2016, a strike group composed of 4 Rafales and 4 Mirage 2000D launched a multiple [[Storm Shadow|SCALP-EG cruise missile]] attack against Islamic State weapon storage site, firing 12 missiles. The Rafales were armed with two cruise missiles each, while the Mirages were armed with one cruise missile each.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.janes.com/article/63240/france-carries-out-large-scalp-eg-attack-on-targets-in-syria |title=France carries out large SCALP-EG attack on targets in Syria &#124; IHS Jane's 360 |access-date=2016-08-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826070443/http://www.janes.com/article/63240/france-carries-out-large-scalp-eg-attack-on-targets-in-syria |archive-date=26 August 2016  }}</ref>