The Mirage 2000 is a single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force.
Keystone
A pilot and a navigator of a French fighter plane that disappeared from radar in the Jura mountains on the French-Swiss border have been declared dead.
The Mirage 2000 took off on Wednesday for a training exercise from Nancy-Ochey military airport in north-eastern France with two crew members, according to the Doubs regional authorities.
A French Air Force spokeswoman said the aircraft was last sighted over a snow-covered mountainous area between the regions of Haut-Doubs and Haut-Jura near Geneva shortly after 11am on Wednesday. The AFP news agency and the newspaper “L’Est Républicain” reported that debris, including a map and a parachute, was found near the village of Mignovillard in eastern France.
On Thursday evening, Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, confirmed the two on board had died.
The last fatal accident of the French air force was in 2011. More recently, on September 28, 2017, a French Mirage 2000 crashed on takeoff from the N’Djamena base in Chad. The pilot and navigator managed to eject before the crash.
The Mirage 2000 “was unarmed and did not have an additional fuel tank”, according to the Doubs authorities.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Nearly 30 people per day rescued in air operations
This content was published on
The demand for emergency air lifts is on the rise, says Swiss air rescue service Rega. In 2017, it operated 12,660 flights – a 6.5% increase on 2016.
This content was published on
A missing Swiss army PC-7 aircraft has been located in the Schreckhorn region of the Bernese Alps. The pilot's body has been recovered.
The US military plane crash that led to better rescues
This content was published on
In 1946 an American military airplane made an emergency landing on a glacier in the Bernese Alps. The crew was rescued in a spectacular mission.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.