- List of Dassault Mirage III operators
-
Map of Mirage III/V operators (former operators in red)
This is a list of Dassault Mirage IIIs, Mirage 5s, and Mirage 50s used by national air forces.
This should be regarded as an approximate list, as guaranteeing these numbers would be a major and difficult task. The key "1S" indicates a single-seat Mirage fighter, while "2S" indicates a two-seat Mirage, and "PR" indicates a photoreconnaissance machine.
Contents Abu Dhabi · Argentina · Australia · Belgium · Brazil · Chile · Colombia · Egypt · France · Gabon · Israel · Lebanon · Libya · Pakistan · Peru · South Africa · Spanish State · Switzerland · Venezuela · Zaire
Mirage III in Combat
Israel
South Africa
South African Air Force (SAAF) used Mirage III operationally to great effect in Angola. In 1979 a SAAF Mirage IIIRZ was shot down near Ongiva, in Angola. The wreckage of the aircraft was recovered by the Angolans.
Argentina
Argentine Air Force used the Mirage IIIEA during the Falklands War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas) . Their lack of aerial refueling capability and long distance from their bases dramatically reduced their ability as long-range strike aircraft. Even using two 550-gallon drop tanks to carry extra fuel, the Mirages (and Daggers) were flying at the absolute limit of their range to reach the British fleet. The fighters sent to engage the Harrier CAP and cover the strike force would have no more than five minutes over the target area [1] Their usual armament consisted of 1 Matra 530 or 2 Magic 1 AAMs. They only entered combat in one occasion with one being shot down by an AIM-9L Sidewinder and other destroyed by friendly fire after attempting to land at Port Stanley when goes out of fuel. They were extensively used on diversion flights, flying very high altitude and baited the British with decoys, forced a response, and stretched their CAP coverage to improve the chances of survival and success of the attack force. Some of them were also maintained in quick response alert against possible Avro Vulcan raids on the mainland and against the Chilean aggressive flights on the border.[2]
France
Operators
Abu Dhabi- 1S: 12 5AD + 5 EAD
- 2S: 3 5DAD
- PR: 5 RAD
- Out of Service
Argentina
Argentine Finger- Single seaters: 19 IIICJ + 17 IIIEA
- Double seaters: 3 IIIBJ + 4 IIIDA
- Plus 35 IAI 1S Dagger-A + 4 IAI 2S Dagger-B. Survivors locally updated to Finger Standard.
- Plus 10 5P. Survivors (9) locally updated to Mara Standard.
- IIICJs & IIIBJs were ex-Israeli, 5Ps were ex-Peruvian.
Australia
A left side view of a Mirage IIID (bottom) and Mirage IIIO aircraft in flight during a combined US-Australian Air Force exercise, Pacific Consort, 1980116 Mirage IIIs (RAAF serial A3-1 to -116) were in service with the RAAF from 1964 to 1988.
- No. 3 Squadron RAAF
- No. 75 Squadron RAAF
- No. 76 Squadron RAAF
- No. 77 Squadron RAAF
- No. 79 Squadron RAAF
- No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF
- Aircraft Research and Development Unit
- 1S: 49 IIIO(F) + 51 IIIO(A)
- 2S: 16 IIID
- Most built locally, all now sold to Pakistan.
Belgium- Belgian Air Force
- 1S: 63 5BA
- 2S: 16 5BD
- PR: 27 5BR
- Minor upgrade performed on survivors in early 1990s, but all were then retired. Some transferred to Chile as Elkans.
Brazil- 1S: 16 IIIEBR + 6 IIIEBR-2
- 2S: 4 IIIDBR + 6 IIIDBR-2
- all IIDBR-2 & IIIEBR-2 were ex-AdA.
- Many assembled locally. Survivors upgraded with canards and so on in early 1990s. Last one retired in 2005
Chile- 1S: 6 50C + 8 50FC + 19 Elkans
- 2S: 3 50DC + 6 Elkans
- 50FC were upgraded by Dassault from AdA 5Fs and then updated by Enaer to Pantera standard. Elkans are ex Belgium Mirage 5.
- Some ex South Africa Cheetahs as spares.
- Retired on 31 December 2007[4]
Colombia- 1S: 14 5COA Converted to 5COAM
- 2S: 2 5COD converted to 5CODM
- PR: 2 5COR Converted to 5COAM
- Most Colombian Mirages upgraded in early 1990s to improved Kfir standard.
- All retired in 2010.
Egypt- 1S: 54 5SDE + 16 5E2
- 2S: 6 5SDD
- PR: 6 5SDR
France
French Mirage IIIR- 1S: 95 IIIC + 183 IIIE + 58 5F
- 2S: 27 IIIB + 5 IIIB1 + 10 IIIB2(RV) + 20 IIIBE
- PR: 50 IIIR + 20 IIIRD
All aircraft retired.
Gabon- Gabon Air Force
- 1S: 3 5G + 2 5G-2
- 2S: 4 5DG
- Two surviving 5Gs were updated to 5G-2 spec.
- Aircraft withdrawn from use.
Israel
A Mirage III in the Israeli Air Force Museum- 1S: 72 IIICJ
- 2S: 5 IIIBJ
- IAI built 61 Nesher / Daggers, with 51 single-seaters and 10 two-seat Nesher-Ts; and 212 Kfirs, with 40 early Kfir C1s (many updated to Kfir C1 spec), about 12 Kifr TC2 trainers, and the rest Kfir C2s. Confusing pattern of upgrades to Kfir C7 and Kfir TC7.
- 2 Mirage IIIRJ photo reconnaissance aircraft
- All aircraft converted to Kfirs or withdrawn from use. Many transferred to Argentina between 1979/83
Lebanon- 1S: 10 IIIEL
- 2S: 2 IIIDL
- all aircraft sold to Pakistan in 2000 [5]
Libya- 1S: 53 5D + 32 5DE
- 2S: 15 5DD
- PR: 10 5DR
- Most of them sold to Pakistan.[citation needed]
PakistanThe Pakistan Air Force is the largest operator of the Dassault Mirage III with a fleet strength of around 156 aircraft. The fleet consists of fighters built for Pakistan (Mirage IIIEP) in the 60s and 70s as well used French, Australian, Libyan and Lebanese aircraft bought in the 1990s and early 2000s. Some 35 of the ex-Australian Mirage III were modernised with new avionics under the first stage of the ROSE (Retrofit Of Strike Element) upgrade programme to make air superiority specialised "ROSE I" fighters.
- 1S: 18 IIIEP + 43 III(0) + 28 5PA + 28 5PA2 + 12 5PA3
- 2S: 5 IIIDP + 7 IIID + 2 5DPA2
- PR: 13 IIIRP
- The III(0) and IIID models were Australian-made and locally refurbished at the Mirage Rebuild Factory of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
All Mirage III/Mirage V aircraft are to be retired and replaced with the Pakistan/China produced JF-17 by 2015.
- Pakistan Naval Air Arm
The Pakistan naval air arm operates more than 12 aircraft based at PNS Base Faisal.
Peru- 1S: 22 5P + 10 5P3 + 2 5P4
- 2S: 4 5DP + 2 5DP3
- 10 5P transferred to Argentina and rest upgraded.
- Survivors stored by 2005.
South Africa
South African Air Force Mirage IIICZ- No. 2 Squadron SAAF
- 1S: 16 IIICZ + 17 IIIEZ
- 2S: 3 IIIBZ + 3 IIIDZ + 11 IIID2Z
- PR: 4 IIIRZ + 4 IIIR2Z
- All out of service, some having been upgraded to Cheetah standard. There were about 16 Cheetah E conversions (all out of service); 38 Cheetah C conversions; 16 Cheetah D conversions; and one Cheetah R conversion (scrapped).
- Some Cheetahs E were sold to Chile for use as spare parts for Panteras.
Spain- 1S: 24 IIIEE
- 2S: 6 IIIDE
- Upgrade plan (APQ-159 radar, HUD + 2xCRT, AYK-14 computer, new RWR, ALE-40 decoy launchers, AIM-9L/AGM-65G capability, four extra hardpoints) cancelled in 1991. Withdrawn from service in October 1992. The survivors were used as part of the payment for the Mirage F-1M upgrade and later sold to Pakistan.
Switzerland- 1S: 1 IIICS + 36 IIIS
- 2S: 4 IIIBS + 2 IIIDS
- PR: 18 IIIRS
- Most built locally, many upgraded with canards, optics etc. Withdrawn from service in 2003.
Venezuela- 1S: 7 IIIEV + 6 5V + 9 50EV
- 2S: 3 IIIDV + 1 50DV
- All phased out after several crashes.
Zaire- 1S: 8 5M
- 2S: 3 5DM
- All sold to Egypt in the early 1990s.
References
- ^ Argentine Airpower in the Falklands War
- ^ HALCONES SOBRE MALVINAS, ISBN 950-9294-07-1
- ^ "Mirage Argentina - El sitio de los Deltas Argentinos - Matriculas de los Mirage VA Mara". www.mirageargentina.com.ar. http://www.mirageargentina.com.ar/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=35. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Lebanese Army Website
Related content
Categories:- French fighter aircraft 1950–1959
- Lists of aircraft operators by aircraft type
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