The Mirage 2000N os Squadron 2/4 Lafayette, who participated in the raid on November 15, 2015 Raqqa (Syria), used for the first time a new payload configuration: in addition to two GBU-12 Paveway II laser guide installed on a double pole, in the center point under the fuselage, the aircraft also outweighed two guided bombs on the lateral points before fuselage slightly behind the air inlets.
The Air Force had so far been reluctant to install GBU there, he seems due to the risk of ingestion of the homing of the ammunition which is found in front of the entrance 'air.
This configuration has probably also obliged to back the installation of the dual carriage under the fuselage to find an acceptable balance.
One can imagine that the Mirage 2000D not too long in heavy use this configuration, but with a caveat: the point of carrying right front of the aircraft will remain reserved for laser designation pod and 2000D will have to settle for three guided munitions.
Doubling the carrying capacity of Mirage 2000N, two devices would have participated in the mission of yesterday, would have resulted in total in theory to carry a maximum of 30 bombs of 250 kg (eight hunters only have been committed contrary what has been announced in the official press release): eight for the two Mirage 2000N, four for the two Mirage 2000D and 24 for the four Rafale. In fact, it seems that the Rafale were content four bombs each, for a total of 28 bombs available to the raid that was twenty separate targets.
FRA Raf.png
:=)
