The French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace, AAE) is exploring further upgrades for its Mirage 2000D RMV fighter-bombers, including new counter-drone weapons and software improvements to support artificial intelligence applications.
Chief of Staff General Jérôme Bellanger said the service is drawing lessons from current conflicts, particularly the large-scale use of loitering munitions such as the Shahed-136 in Ukraine, to adapt its existing fleet to modern threats.
“The Mirage 2000D has not had its last word,” Bellanger told Air Fan magazine, as reported by Opex360. “We are studying options that have emerged from our reflections on current conflicts, such as the possibility of adapting low-cost weapons to deal with the Shahed drone threat. In a major engagement, it is unthinkable to consume our most sophisticated and costly weapons to destroy them.”
Among the ideas reportedly under review is equipping the Mirage 2000D with laser-guided rockets, such as the Thales Aculeus-LG, which would allow pilots to engage small drones at a fraction of the cost of using air-to-air missiles. The concept has already been proven by the US Air Force, which used 70 mm APKWS II rockets from F-16s to down Houthi drones over the Red Sea earlier this year.
Possible return of AASM integration
General Bellanger also confirmed that the AAE is revisiting the possibility of integrating the AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) precision-guided munition on the Mirage 2000D, despite the capability being excluded from the current RMV upgrade. He described the AASM as “an extremely effective sovereign weapon” that continues to “give complete satisfaction to all of its users.”
The AASM, also known as Hammer in export markets, has been actively used by Ukrainian forces since early 2024, following France’s decision to supply the weapon for integration on Soviet-era Su-24M strike aircraft and Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets. The munitions have provided Ukraine with a long-range precision strike option, reportedly capable of hitting targets up to 70 kilometers away, depending on the variant. Their combat employment has given France valuable operational feedback on the weapon’s performance in contested environments, particularly against Russian electronic warfare and air defense systems.
In parallel, the service is preparing additional software updates for the Mirage 2000D RMV to enhance real-time image analysis and targeting capabilities. Bellanger noted that France’s ability to modify the aircraft’s mission-system code could pave the way for early “combat AI” functions, particularly when paired with the TALIOS targeting pod.
A modernized strike aircraft
The Mirage 2000D RMV [rénovation à mi-vie, mid-life refurbishment – ed. note] officially entered operational service in April 2025. Fifty aircraft are currently flown by the 3rd Fighter Wing based at Nancy-Ochey.
The upgrade program was designed to extend the life of the Mirage 2000D into the mid-2030s while improving its mission flexibility. The aircraft can now carry MICA IR air-to-air missiles and a CC422 30 mm gun pod, replacing the older Magic II. It also integrates the TALIOS pod for precision strikes and retains the ASTAC electronic-warfare system used to intercept hostile radar emissions.
🎯💥 Tir canon réussi cette semaine pour le #Mirage2000D. Il valide un jalon majeur de son programme de Rénovation Mi-Vie (RMV). Polyvalence air-sol renforcée et capacités opérationnelles élargies pour le chasseur de l’armée de l’Air et de l’Espace. pic.twitter.com/Zd5ML3I6Zt
— Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (@Armee_de_lair) March 7, 2025
The RMV standard also introduced a redesigned cockpit and mission computer, offering a modernized human-machine interface and improved data sharing with other assets.
Did Ukraine shape a more pragmatic path to an all-Rafale fleet?
If approved, the counter-drone, AASM, and AI upgrades could give the Mirage 2000D RMV a renewed mission profile even as France advances toward its long-term goal of an all-Rafale fighter fleet. In 2023, President Emmanuel Macron announced that the 2024–2030 Military Programming Law would mark the Air and Space Force’s transition to a Rafale-only fleet.
France’s subsequent decision to transfer several Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine has since given that transition a new dimension. Although operational details remain limited, the aircraft are believed to be flying primarily air defense and ground-attack missions, helping Ukraine intercept drones and cruise missiles launched against its cities. For the AAE, this deployment offers a rare opportunity to observe how the Mirage performs in a highly contested airspace amid newly emerging threats.
That experience may now be informing the Mirage 2000D’s potential transformation into a platform tailored to hunt the very kind of drones that are arguably redefining modern air combat, at a time when Western air forces face recurrent Russian incursions and search for practical, scalable ways to counter them.
