Snecma M53
The SNECMA M53 is an afterburning turbofan engine built by SNECMA for the Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter. It powers the Mirage 2000 family, including the latest 2000-5 and 2000-9 multirole versions, used by eight air forces.
The engine traces its roots to the Atar family, but adds a bypass duct behind the third compressor stage and enlarges the first three stages to create low- and high-pressure sections on one shaft. It is a single-shaft turbofan with a bypass flow.
Originally called the Super Atar 9K50, the M53 was designed for sustained flight up to Mach 2.5. Flight testing began in July 1973 on a Caravelle test bed, and it went supersonic in a Mirage F.1 test bed by the end of 1974. It was aimed at better performance than the latest Atar engines while being simpler and cheaper than the SNECMA TF 306.
A key feature is carefree handling: the fan and high-pressure compressor run on the same shaft, giving smooth throttle response in flight. The M53 uses modular construction, allowing sub-assemblies to be swapped without full engine testing. Modules are serviced on condition by monitoring exhaust gas temperature, oil, blade clearances, and by borescoping hot parts.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:08 (CET).