The Plane that Can Beat an F-16 Fighting Falcon

In May of 1999, over 5,000 Pakistani soldiers crossed the Line of Control in Kargil into India’s side in an abrupt assault on international peace. India responded by mobilizing 200,000 troops, but the sky-reaching mountain summits only allowed 30,000 men to reach the battlefront.

However, this was not the same Indian Army the Pakistanis had encountered years before; in a formidable joint arms operation, the Indian ground troops were supported by an empowered Air Force.

Despite most of their aircraft being grounded due to lousy weather and unable to operate at such daunting altitudes, one fighter rose to the challenge: the Mirage 2000.

The small but impressively potent French aircraft climbed over the peaks of the Kashmir mountains delivering a devastating series of precision strikes that flushed the Pakistani forces out of Indian territory. Overwhelmed by superior firepower and international diplomatic pressure, Pakistan ultimately retreated.

The world sighed in relief as the two nuclear-armed powers stopped fighting. Even so, the formidable Mirage 2000 left a lasting impression, showing the world that sometimes the most monumental changes can come from the smallest packages…

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