Key Points and Summary – France’s Dassault Mirage III was the first of the Mirage family to move beyond prototype status—and it became a Cold War classic.
-A compact, Mach 2 delta-wing fighter, it entered French service in the late 1950s and was exported widely to air forces from Israel and South Africa to Pakistan and Argentina.
-Mirage IIIs flew as interceptors, fighter-bombers, and reconnaissance platforms, scoring air-to-air kills over the Middle East and South Asia and proving rugged in border wars and regional conflicts.
-Though most have been retired, the Mirage III’s design and combat record still shape fighter development and doctrine today.
Dassault Mirage III Profile
Despite bearing the name “Mirage,” the series of supersonic jet fighter-bombers produced by France’s Dassault Aviation is very much real, and indeed lethal against any adversary foolish enough to dismiss them.
National Security Journal now discusses the most historically successful variant of the series, the Mirage III.
One Good Mirage Deserves Another and Another: Mirage III Initial History
The first two Mirages were standalone experimental aircraft. The MD550 Mystère Delta specimens bore serial numbers MD550-01 and MD550-02. These were later renamed Mirage I and Mirage II, respectively.
The MD550 was designed in 1953; it flew between June 1955 and May 1957 before being withdrawn.
The third time was the charm, as the Mirage III was the first of the bunch to advance past the prototype phase and enter into full production and, finally, operational status.
The Mirage III made its maiden flight on Nov. 17, 1956, with test pilot Roland Glavany at the controls.
After a few extra tweaks—such as variable-section air inlets with moving conical hubs, called “mice”—the French Air Force brass was impressed enough to select the Mirage III 001 as the future plane for its battle fleet. In April 1957 the service ordered 10 pre-production aircraft.
These were followed by another 95 serially produced Mirage III Cs in 1959.
Mirage IIIE Tech Specs and Vital Stats
Crew: 1
Fuselage Length: 15.03 m (49 ft 4 in)
Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 8.22 m (27 ft 0 in)
Empty Weight: 7,050 kg (15,543 lb)
Gross weight: 9,600 kg (21,164 lb)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: (MTOW): 13,700 kg (30,203 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA Atar 09C afterburning turbojet engine, generating 41.97 kN (9,440 lbf) dry thrust and 60.8 kN (13,700 lbf) in afterburner mode; SEPR 841 rocket engine optional
Ferry Range: 3,335 km (2,072 mi, 1,801 nmi)
Combat Range: 1,200 km (750 mi, 650 nmi)
Service Ceiling: 17,000 m (56,000 ft)
Rate of Climb: 83 m/s (16,400 ft/min))
Max Airspeed: 2,350 km/h (1,460 mph, 1,270 kn)
Armament:
2 × 30 mm (1.181 in) DEFA 552 cannon
2 × Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack
2 × AIM-9B Sidewinder Air to Air missiles (AAM) or 2 × Matra R.550 Magic AAMs plus 1× Matra R.530 AAM (more on the latter in a bit)
4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints
The plane made history on Oct. 24, 1958, as the first European aircraft to reach Mach 2.
A total of 1,422 F-III airframes were built. In addition to France, the warbird was adopted by the air forces of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Israel, Lebanon, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Venezuela.
It also inspired offshoots and foreign license-built copies such as the Mirage 5, Mirage 50, Israeli IAI Nesher, and South African Atlas Cheetah.
Mirage 2000. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Mirage 2000 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Assault by Dassault: Mirage III Operational History and Combat Performance (in Brief)
The Mirage III had such an extensive combat history that it could probably fill a book.
A few highlights stand out:
–The Israeli Air Force’s Ace of Aces, retired Brig. Gen. Giora Epstein, obtained all 17 of his air-to-air kills (16 against Egyptian jets, one against an Egyptian Mil Mi-8 “Hip” helicopter) in either a Mirage III or a Nesher.
–Speaking of the Israelis, IAF Mirage III driver Capt. A. Michael obtained the first aerial kill for the R.530 radar guided missile on Nov. 30, 1966, against an Egyptian MiG-19 “Farmer.” The same pilot downed a second MiG-19 with cannon fire.
–During the South African Border War of 1966-1990, the Mirage III formed the centerpiece of the South African Air Force’s fleet, performing interceptor, fighter-bomber, and reconnaissance missions.
–During the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, Pakistani Air Force (PAF) Mirages nabbed the force’s first aerial victories against Indian Air Force Canberra bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.
In Two Words: Almost Retired
Not surprisingly, most of the Mirage III’s users have retired them.
More updated variants such as the Mirage 2000 have long since come along. Pakistan remains the lone exception. According to the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft, the PAF has 87 Mirage IIIs, accounting for 17.4 percent of their 498-strong fighter fleet (which also includes the F-16 and the Sino-Pakistani joint venture JF-17 Thunder).
JF-17 Thunder Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Approximately 28 Mirage IIIs have been preserved in museums and military bases in six countries.
The United States is not on that list, but the Argentines have saved six of them, including three at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica Brigadier Edmundo Civati Bernasconi in the city of Morón, Buenos Aires Province.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
