France deploys Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft in Estonia.

According to a tweet published by Ryan Chan on March 13, 2022, France deployed Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft arrived in Estonia for NATO Enhanced Air Policing in the Baltic region.

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Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft (Picture source: French Armed Forces)

The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (Armée de l'air).

The Mirage 2000 evolved into a multi-role aircraft with several variants developed, with sales to a number of nations. It was later developed into the Mirage 2000N and 2000D strike variants, the improved Mirage 2000-5, and several export variants.

The Mirage 2000 is equipped with built-in twin DEFA 554 autocannon (now GIAT 30–550 F4) 30 mm revolver-type cannons with 125 rounds each. The cannons have selectable fire rates of 1,200 or 1,800 rounds per minute.

Enhanced Air Policing is part of NATO's Assurance Measures introduced in 2014, after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.