NEUILLY, France, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- ASTAC tactical reconnaissance pods used on France's Mirage F1CR aircraft are to be adapted for use on the Mirage 2000D.
Thales, the manufacturer of the ASTAC, said the contract received from French defense procurement agency DGA said the process will be completed by 2014.
The ASTAC pods -- designed for the F4 Phantom, Mirage F1 and Mirage 2000 -- provide electronic intelligence and tactical reconnaissance capability. The pods, carried under the aircraft fuselage, also hold electronic countermeasure systems.
Its equipment determines the precise location and parameters of electronic signals detected.
Thales didn't disclose the value of the contract.
The Mirage 2000D will assume the reconnaissance missions of the Mirage F1CR, which is scheduled to be retired from service.
The 2000D, a long-range aircraft, was used by France during NATO operations against Libya last year. It has a maximum speed of more than 1,400 miles per hour, and a service ceiling of 59,000 feet.
