Based on the Nesher, the Kfir (translates to "Lion Cub") was an Israeli program to improve their existing Mirage fleet with new avionics and the General Electric J79 engine from the F-4 Phantom II. Compared to the original French SNECMA Atar 9C engine in the Nesher, the J79 engine was shorter and had higher requirements for air flow and operating temperatures, so the modified aircraft holding the J79 had their rear ends redesigned for the shorter engine, with air intakes added or enlarged to accommodate the engine temperatures. The first prototype, under the name Ra'am (for "Thunder") flew on June 4, 1973, and the prototype would be accepted into Israeli Air Force service on April 14, 1975, in the 101 "First Fighter" Squadron as the Kfir C.1. The Kfir C.2 variant was the second production model after complaints that the C.1 had inferior maneuverability compared to the Shahak, which saw the addition of canard (larger than that found on the Kfir Canard), leading edges on the wing, and small strakes on the nose.

The Kfir C.2, introduced into the game in Update "Wind of Change" as a reward for the "Battle for Arachis" event, shares its characteristics with the Mirage 5 lineage as a fighter-bomber, capable of performing in an air-to-air or air-to-ground role with its avionics and flight performance. Air-to-air performance is benefitted by the Kfir C.2's maneuverability, especially its turn rates, to get nose onto target for guns or missiles, though missile availability is hindered to just two IR seeking missiles. For air-to-ground, the Kfir C.2's ability to carry a total of eight 1000 lb bombs allows it to be able to destroy a base in air realistic mode or several armoured ground targets in ground battles. A full suite of ballistic computers allow for CCIP and CCRP usage that allows Kfir pilots to get their payload onto target as accurately as possible. The versatility in the Kfir's roles ensures that players are able to use it in response to different combat situations over the course of a match.