Rafale and Mirage 2000 pulled mica missiles to successful stratospheric balloons

During a hearing in the Senate, in November 2023, General Stéphane Mille, then chief of staff of the air force and space [CEMAAE]had assured that France had the “means of intervening” in the very high altitude [THA, zone comprise entre 20 et 100 km d’altitude, ndlr]as the US Air Force had done to shoot down a Chinese ball that flew over the United States a few months earlier. Therefore, “So we don’t need to go far beyond our current abilities,” he said. Furthermore,

Last week, the Ministry of the Armed Forces unveiled its strategy for the Tha. Moreover, This is based on three pillars: “detect”. For example, with in particular the modernization of the Transhorizon Nostradamus radar and participation in the European satellite rafale mirage 2000 pulled mica program dedicated to the advanced Odin’s Eye alert, “intercept” and “operate”, thanks to the Balman, Zephyr and Stratobus projects. Meanwhile,

With regard to the ability to neutralize potential threats in the Tha. Similarly, the ministry’s strategy provides for experiments to be carried out by the Air Army & Space [AAE]the Directorate General of Armament [DGA] and the National Center for Spatial Studies [CNES]. Furthermore,

More specifically. the objective is to extend the “current air-to-air interception capacities” thanks to “certain developments allowing better detections and clashes or excursions at altitude beyond the fields of theft today authorized.

“Simulations. test campaigns and experiments will be carried out […] From 2025, both on Mirage 2000 and Rafale planes, in order to identify the characteristics to be improved in priority of current missiles and sensors to carry out Haps interceptions [High Altitude Pseudo-Satellites] “, She specifies. In addition. it is also rafale mirage 2000 pulled mica a question of mobilizing the ASTER B1NT missiles of the Samp/T air defense system [sol-Air Moyenne Portée / Terrestre]the objective is to adapt “the interception chain to this complex layer of the atmosphere”.

“We must ask how altitude our weapons systems can still act effectively. ” said Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces, during the presentation of this strategy during the Bourget Fair.

On this point. assimilating the Tha to the “Far West” because the legal status supposed to governing it does not consensus, the current Cemaae, General Jérôme Bellanger insisted, on several occasions, on the need to have a capacity for neutralization, like the one available to the Air Force with Mirage III, this plane being able to fly up to 28,000 meters Sepr engine. It is “out of the question to have Chinese balloons positioned above our heads in Paris. who observe us,” he rafale mirage 2000 pulled mica said last October.

Anyway, the experimental campaign provided for by the ministerial strategy has just started. This is indeed what Mr. Lecornu announced, via the social network X.

Rafale. Mirage 2000 successfully produced the first mica missile shots to stratospheric balloons operating at very high altitude (Tha) supplied by the @Cnes

Test shots repelling the technological constraints that are exercised on the plane, its pilot and … pic.twitter.com/mu2eqTNr8s

– Souncil Sweetener (@Sebling) June 23. 2025

“Rafale and Mirage 2000 successfully produced the first Mica missile shots to stratospheric balloons operating at very high altitude supplied by the CNES. Test shots repelling the technological constraints that are exerted on the plane. its pilot and his armament beyond 20 kilometers above sea level, “said the minister, before welcoming himself from a” first stage crossing on the interception of the strategy of rafale mirage 2000 pulled mica our armies for the THA, which becomes a space of conflict “.

Mica [Missile d’Interception. de Combat et d’Autodéfense] is an inertial guidance missile that uses an infrared carctor [IR] or electromagnetic [EM] when he approaches his target. Its range is around 80 km.

However, Mr. Lecornu did not deliver more details on the operating mode followed by the Rafale and the Mirage 2000. Probably the AAE and the DGA will say more in the days to come.