Mirage 4000

Mirage 4000

▄F-8E(FN)

Mirage 4000

▄F-8E(FN)

France

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.7	13.0	13.0

Class:

Fighter

Jet fighter

Research:400 000

Purchase:1 080 000

Show in game

Description

During the 1970s, after the French evaluation of the F-15A fell through, Dassault took part in a private venture to build a "heavy fighter-interceptor" of similar magnitude as the F-15, primarily for the French Air Force and export to close French allies. By the end of the decade, they had completed the Mirage 4000, which at first glance appeared to be a scaled-up Mirage 2000 with canards and double the engines. The Mirage 4000 however was more than meets the eye, being armed with a large amount of air-to-air missiles for its interception role, and with powerful SNECMA M53 engines to give it unrivaled thrust for its time, the Mirage 4000 was better than the early F-15As in most ways. However, the French Air Force found the aircraft too expensive to field and decided to pursue further upgrades of the Mirage 2000 instead. As for the export customers, most either bought the F-15A instead due to political pressure, or in the case of Iran, had a revolution which severed the alliance with France and prevented them from buying the Mirage 4000. In the end, only one Mirage 4000 was built, which made 300+ test flights and airshow demonstrations, before being moved to its final resting place at the Musée de l'air et de l'espace (Paris Air and Space Museum) in November 1992. Much of the technology and experience gained from the Mirage 4000 would be used in the Dassault Rafale shortly after.

Introduced in Update "Air Superiority", the Mirage 4000 is a direct development of the older Mirage 2000, and the ultimate culmination of the Mirage family. The aircraft can serve a true multipurpose role, having incredible dogfighting performance and up to 8 x R.550 Magic 2 all-aspect missiles for close-in dogfighting, up to four Super 530D missiles and a powerful radar for BVR combat, and even the ATLIS targeting pod and a respectable amount of laser-guided bombs and AGMs for heavy CAS duty. All in all, the Mirage 4000 serves as a true reward at the end of the French ranks, building upon the playstyles learned from the previous Mirage 2000s and the F-8E (FN).

General info

Flight performance

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 12 000 m2 318 km/h

Turn time23 s

Max altitude16 000 m

Engine2 х SNECMA M53-P2

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight63 t

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	___	2510	16000	__._	__._	__._	__._	___
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	X	X	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,555	426	-	-	-	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 920	< 750	< 650	-

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
SNECMA M53-P2		2	13,000 kg		303 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)				Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		13m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	40m fuel
1,515 kg	Afterburning low-bypass turbofan		15,640 kg	17,343 kg	19,515 kg	21,800 kg	31,854 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	13m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	40m fuel	MGW
Stationary	6,250 kgf	9,745 kgf	1.25	1.12	1.00	0.89	0.61
Optimal	7,194 kgf (1,555 km/h)	13,713 kgf (1,555 km/h)	1.75	1.58	1.41	1.26	0.86

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear426 km/h

Just like most other top rank jets, it is very vulnerable to gunfire and missiles alike, meaning it is most important to avoid getting hit at all in the first place. An upside however is that it can stay in the air even with just one engine left and the large airframe makes hits to non-critical components more likely than with tight packed aircraft like the F-16 series for example. Keep in mind that even hits that don't outright destroy you will still make a very noticeable impact on maximum speed and flight performance, rendering a retreat to the airfield the best option in many cases.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 029 → 4 392

RB8 752 → 12 690

SB10 322 → 14 966

Total cost of modifications309 000

469 000

Talisman cost3 100

Crew training310 000

Experts1 080 000

Aces3 400

Research Aces1 280 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

90 / 320 / 490 %

250 / 250 / 250 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 New boosters Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620	Fuselage repair Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Airframe Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Wings repair Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 550 Cover Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620	Flares/Chaff Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 aden_belt_pack Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Matra JL-100R Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 G-suit Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Type 25C Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 ATLIS II Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 Matra R550 Magic 2 Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 440 aden_new_gun Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 550 Mk83 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 550 AS30L Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 550 Matra 530F Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 550 EFS Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620 Mk84 Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620 BGL-1000 Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620 Matra 530D Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 620

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)	Lead indicator

Offensive armament

The Mirage 4000 is armed with:

• 2 x 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons, wing root-mounted (125 rpg = 250 total)

Suspended armament

The Mirage 4000 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs		1	1	1	1	9	1	1	1	1
250 kg SAMP Type 25 200 bombs		1	1	1	1	9	1	1	1	1
1,000 lb SAMP Mk 83 bombs		1	1			2			1	1
2,000 lb SAMP Mk 84 bombs		1	1			2			1	1
970 kg BGL-1000 bombs						2†
SNEB type 23 rockets		18	18						18	18
AS-30L Nord missiles		1†	1†						1†	1†
Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles	1	1	1, 2*						1, 2*	1	1
Matra Super 530D missiles		1	1						1	1
Matra Super 530F missiles		1	1						1	1
Large calibre countermeasures				56				56
ATLIS II targeting pod							1†
500 l drop tanks			1*						1*
2,500 l drop tanks			1						1
Maximum permissible weight imbalance: 1,500 kg
* 500 litre drop tanks can only be equipped with dual Magic 2 missiles on the same hardpoint † ATLIS II pod must be equipped when equipping guided air-to-ground ordnance

Default weapon presets

2 x 2,500 l drop tanks 2 x Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles 6 x Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles 8 x Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles 8 x Matra R550 Magic 2 missiles + 2 x 500 l drop tanks 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets 4 x AS-30L Nord missiles 4 x Matra Super 530F missiles 4 x Matra Super 530D missiles 17 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 bombs (4,250 kg total) 17 x 250 kg SAMP Type 25 200 bombs (4,250 kg total) 6 x 1,000 lb SAMP Mk 83 bombs (6,000 lb total) 6 x 2,000 lb SAMP Mk 84 bombs (12,000 lb total) 2 x 970 kg BGL-1000 bombs (1,940 kg total) 112 x large calibre countermeasures

Usage in battles

The "Super" Mirage 4000 is certainly an interesting plane. It is the bigger and stronger brother of the Mirage 2000, that might not have as many aces up it's sleeve compared to the Mirage 2000-5F with it's HMD and PD radar, but it more than makes up for it Thrust, Armament and Agility.

While it would seem that the Mirage 4000 is a heavier and therefore less manoeuvrable than the Mirage 2000, The addition of the canards and the extra power of the engines make it one of the best turning jets in game, falling behind only to the F-16A in raw manoeuvrability. It however remains a plane that is almost twice as heavy as it's little brother, meaning that while it has great thrust, great turning capability and does not lose speed as fast as a Mirage 2000, you will feel that it is way less responsive, especially at lower speeds.

Overall, the Mirage 4000 is like having 2 Mirage 2000s glued together. twice the weight, twice the engine power, twice the missiles, twice the carrying capacity, twice the "wings" (if you want to count the canards).

All of this means that the Mirage 4000, while being from the same Mirage family and a very similar plane to the rest of the Mirage 2000's, It is a whole different aircraft, with a similar playstyle.

In Air Realistic Battles

• The Mirage 4000 can be used in multiple roles, Including being a Missile bus, Support aircraft and even somewhat of a Dogfighter.
• The best way to use the Mirage 4000 in ARB is to use your high speed to get into a flanking position possibly bombing one base and then firing missiles at unsuspecting enemies. Afterwards, there are multiple possibilities. Either getting away in order to reposition and gain energy, or going straight into the "furball". Both options are possible due to the Mirage's Superior speed, Thrust, Energy retention and agility.
• The Mirage 4000 is a jack of all trades, being able to fill any role, but not being the best at any of them. You should always keep a good awareness of your surroundings and keep your energy up. Do not get stuck in extended turn fights.

ARB Notes:

• This plane is as fuel efficient as the Mirage 2000, meaning that 20 minutes is enough if you do not afterburn all the way to the battle. 30 minutes ensures you better endurance, while 40 minutes can extend your endurance further.
• The Mirage 4000 has multiple options of fuel tanks. Either 2x Large drop tanks, with a total of 19:42 minutes of fuel.
• 2x Smaller fuel tanks, carrying 3:55 minutes of fuel can also be installed. These fuel tanks Cannot be dropped, are installed on the innermost Armament pylons, but can however hold 2x Magic II missiles each. In practice, this means that if you wish to take 8x Total missiles, you have to take these fuel tanks, which make the plane slightly heavier. If you wish to take 4x Super Magic 530D's, You will be limiting yourself to 6x Total missiles.
• The most well rounded loadout for the Mirage 4k would be the 2x small fuel tanks, each carrying 2x Matra Magic II Missiles, 2x Super 530D's along with the outer-most pylon Magic II's, bringing you to a total of 6x IR missiles and 2x Radar missiles.
• A payload of 11x250kg bombs can be taken on the pylons under the fuselage, letting you destroy one base.

In Ground Realistic Battles

• The Mirage 4000 is a very scary plane. It can carry a good amount of Ordinance. While the ordinance is not Fire and Forget, it packs a punch. A big downside is that the Mirage 4K only gets access to an ALTIS II Targetting pod, which does not have any thermal capability. In practice, this means that the Mirage 4000 is useless at ground pounding if the weather conditions are cloudy, foggy or in low light conditions. Spotting targets is also harder, however the zoom of the ALTIS II is better than on the DAMOCLES Targetting pod of the Mirage 2000-5F.
• The Most effective loadout for Ground RB is 4x AS-30L Missiles, which are very lethal with a direct hit, and 2x BGL-1000 Guided bombs.
• The first thing you should do after spawning in is searching for enemy SPAA. If you have not identified SPAA in around 5 seconds after spawning in, you should dive and put distance, objects or terrain between you and the battlefield as soon as possible, in order to avoid any possible missiles coming at you. Do keep in mind that a missile can be guided to you even if noone is hard locking you. SPAA's at this tier have IRST and even TWS, making it especially hard to know a missile is fired at you unless you clearly see the launch.
• When the threat (SPAA) is eliminated, you can finally start getting close and destroying ground targets. You should constantly keep your eyes on the RWR in case any plane spawns in.
• Try not to turn a lot. The Mirage 4k becomes very vulnerable once it lost all of it's speed. You should do passes and bombing runs rather than staying right above the battlefield and dropping ordinance.

Overall, the "Super" Mirage 4000 is a truly capable Multirole Aircraft, that is more than capable at dealing with any situation one might throw at it. This however does not mean that the plane is clearly superior to anything else it might fight, quite the opposite. It just lets the pilot do some things other planes do not. It can be a scary and formidable foe to fight against.

It is a plane which you can play in your own playstyle, rather than forcing you into a playstyle of it's own.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent flight performance in all situations
• Magic 2 missiles are very effective and it carries up to 8 of them
• Has access to R530D radar missiles
• Wide variety of air-to-ground weapons, like various (guided) bombs, guided missiles and rockets

Cons:

• R530D missiles lag behind contemporaries like R-27ER and AIM-7M at short range
• Easy to bleed speed in extended turns, at which point it becomes vulnerable to faster foes
• Lack of an HMD

History

In the waning years of the 1970s, the French aerospace landscape was marked by an ambitious endeavor from Dassault Aviation: the creation of the Mirage 4000, also affectionately known as the Super Mirage 4000. This aircraft was the brainchild of Dassault's forward-thinking strategy, a leap towards developing a fighter that would not only surpass its predecessors in capability but also offer a versatile solution to both the French Air Force and potential international clients. The Mirage 4000 was conceived as a grander, more potent variant of its cousin, the Mirage 2000, distinguished by its twin-engine design nestled within a sleek delta-wing configuration—a signature of Dassault's engineering philosophy.

The genesis of the Mirage 4000 was a bold move by Dassault, undertaken without a formal prompt from the French military or government. This initiative was driven by the company's vision to proactively propose advanced military aircraft, positioning itself as a pioneer in the aerospace domain. The Mirage 4000 was designed to be a multi-role fighter, adept at a broad spectrum of missions from air superiority to ground attack and reconnaissance, signaling a significant leap in aerial warfare capabilities.

On the 9th of March, 1979, the Mirage 4000 took to the skies for its maiden flight, showcasing its remarkable performance. The aircraft was a testament to Dassault's legacy of innovation, featuring cutting-edge avionics, a robust radar system, and the capacity to carry an extensive array of weaponry. Its design drew heavily on the lineage of the Mirage III and Mirage 2000, yet set itself apart with a larger airframe to accommodate the additional engine, thereby enhancing its range and payload capacity.

Despite these promising attributes, the Mirage 4000's journey was one of potential unfulfilled. It never transitioned beyond the prototype stage to taste combat or be adorned in the livery of any air force. The French Air Force, constrained by budgetary limits and strategic decisions, opted not to adopt the Mirage 4000, favoring instead the single-engine Mirage 2000 as its workhorse. The Mirage 4000's story is a poignant chapter in the annals of military aviation, a tale of technological ambition and the harsh realities of defense economics, leaving the aircraft as a remarkable "what could have been" in the history of aerial combat.

Media

Videos

The Shooting Range #390 - Arsenal section at 07:08 discusses the Mirage 4000.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.

Dassault Aviation
WW2*
Fighters	M.B.152C1 · M.B.157
Bombers	M.B.162 · M.B.174A-3 · M.B.175T
Jet Aircraft
M.D 450	M.D.450B Barougan · M.D.450B Ouragan
Mystère	M.D.452 IIA · M.D.452 IIC · Mystere IVA
Super Mystère	Super Mystere B2
Étendard	Etendard IVM
Super Étendard	Super Etendard
Alpha Jet	Alpha Jet E**
Mirage
Mirage III	Mirage IIIC · Mirage IIIE · Milan
Mirage V	Mirage 5F
Mirage F1	Mirage F1C · Mirage F1C-200 · Mirage F1CT
Mirage 2000	Mirage 2000-5F · Mirage 2000C-S4 · Mirage 2000C-S5 · Mirage 2000D-R1 · Mirage 2000D-RMV
Mirage 4000	Mirage 4000
Export
M.D 450	M.D.450B Ouragan
Mystere	Mystere IVA
Super Mystère	Sambad · Sa'ar***
Mirage	Shahak · ▄Mirage 5BA · ␗Mirage 2000-5Ei
	*The company was named "Société des Avions Marcel Bloch" before being renamed in 1947
	**Jointly manufactured with Dornier Flugzeugwerke
	***Israeli Super Mystère refitted with new avionics and an American engine
See also	SABCA