IAF got wo Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France to add to combat aircraft force.

In the midst of border tensions, the Indian Air Force has got a boost to its fighter jet arsenal with the arrival of two used Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft from France at its Gwalior airbase.

"The Indian Air Force has received two Mirage 2000 trainer version aircraft from France. The two aircraft were flying with their Air Force and arrived at the Gwalior airbase recently," government sources told ANI.

According to the sources, the aircraft will now be modified to the newest standards as part of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's Mirage modernization programme. The two aircraft were purchased by the Indian Air Force as part of a mission to increase the Mirage fighter force to roughly 50 aircraft.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has 51 Mirages in various batches, which are divided into three squadrons based at the Gwalior Air Force station. According to sources, the Mirage upgrade arrangement between the French and Indian sides was meant to improve the capabilities of 51 jets, but some of the kits have been left over owing to plane crashes.

The identical kits may be installed on these two French Air Force planes to make them combat ready, according to the sources. The Indian Air Force has made a wise investment in finding spare parts for the Mirages in the form of retired French aircraft, which will allow the Air Force to sustain them until 2035, according to sources.

The Mirages have been in service since the 1980s and have served as the force's mainstay from the Kargil war until the 2019 Balakot airstrikes in Pakistan, where they struck a Jaish e Mohammed terrorist base.

During the Kargil war, the Mirages were also successful in taking out Pakistan Army camps and bunkers on Tiger Hilltop, changing the complexion of the war by hitting enemy camps at such high altitudes with pinpoint precision using laser-guided bombs.