Mirage 2000N La Fayette model - Dassault - 1/72 scale

Very high-precision 1/72 scale metal model delivered with landing gear and display base. This model can be assembled without tools or glue in a few minutes. Invisible assembly. 3 possible presentations (taking off - landing/in flight/taxiing). This model is presented in designer packaging. (21.5 x 21.5 x 7 cm). Model dimensions: 20.28 cm long - 12.68 cm wingspan - 7.22 cm high. The livery presented was produced in 2016 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the EC 2/4 La Fayette fighter squadron, then hosted at the 125 air base in Istres-Le Tubé. Created by Régis Rocca, it commemorated 100 years of Franco-American friendship and the commitment of American airmen during the First World War. The Mirage 2000N is the nuclear attack version of the Mirage 2000 that carries the Air-to-Ground Medium-Port Missile (ASMP) later renamed ASMP-A (Improved). Initial test flights of the two prototypes took place in 1983 and the Mirage 2000N became operational in 1988. Its fuselage is similar to that of the Mirage 2000B, a two-seater trainer aircraft adapted to cover long distances at low altitude.
The specification of the nuclear assault mission required that this aircraft be two-seater: thus a weapons system officer navigator (NOSA) is responsible for managing the countermeasures navigation system and implementing the nuclear missile. 75 aircraft were produced by the Dassault Aviation company. These different aircraft equipped the Strategic Air Forces (FAS) squadrons EC 1/4 Dauphiné and EC 2/4 La Fayette on the air base (BA) 116 Luxeuil Saint-Sauveur – as well as EC 3/4 Limousin on the BA 125 of Istres Le Tubé. In the early 1990s, the EC 2/3 Champagne also served on this aircraft within the 3rd fighter wing of Nancy. In addition to the permanent alert posture linked to the nuclear mission held since 1988, these squadrons distinguished themselves during air operations in the former Yugoslavia (Operation Kestrel - 1994) from Cervia in Italy.
The same was true in 2011 during Operation Harmattan in Libya, where Mirage 2000Ns departing from Souda in Crete took part in ground attack missions. In August 2015, during Operation Chammal, personnel from EC 2/4 La Fayette, the last squadron armed with Mirage 2000Ns, positioned themselves in Jordan to fight terrorists in Iraq and Syria. These aircraft and crews left the theatre of operations on 25 August 2016 after more than 300 sorties. The Mirage 2000Ns then contributed to operations in the Sahel-Saharan strip alongside the Mirage 2000Ds, this deployment being the last external operation of EC 2/4 La Fayette.
In the summer of 2018, the Mirage 2000N was definitively withdrawn from service after 30 years in the French deterrent.
Important Warning: This is not a toy, but a detailed scale replica intended for adult collectors. Please note that this model may contain small parts and have sharp edges. Not suitable for children under fifteen years of age.