Dassault Mirage III

Dassault Mirage IIIDS HB-RDF J-2012Dassault Mirage IIIDS HB-RDF/J-2012 former Swiss Air Force

The Dassault Mirage III is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Air Force and widely exported.

  • Role: Interceptor aircraft
  • National origin: France
  • Manufacturer: Dassault Aviation
  • First flight: 17 November 1956
  • Introduction: 1961
  • Status: In service only by Pakistan Air Force
  • Produced: 1977–1983
  • Number built: 1,422
  • Variants: Dassault Mirage IIIV (BalzacV), Dassault Mirage 5, Atlas Cheetah

Dassault Mirage IIIS J-2313 Swiss Air Force

Military operators

  • Argentinian Air Force
  • Egyptian Air Force

Former military operators

  • Abu Dhabi Air Force
  • Royal Australian Air Force
  • Belgium Air Force
  • Brazilian Air Force
  • Chilean Air Force
  • Colombian Air Force
  • French Air Force
  • Gabonese Air Force
  • Israeli Air Force
  • Lebanese Air Force
  • Libyan Air Force
  • Peruvian Air Force
  • South-African Air Force
  • Spanish Air Force
  • Swiss Air Force
  • Venezuelan Air Force
  • Zairian Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIDS HB-RDF J-2012

Dassault Mirage IIIDS HB-RDF/J-2012 former Swiss Air Force

Specifications (Mirage IIIE)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 15.03 m (49 ft 3½ in)
  • Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11⅝ in)
  • Height: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Wing area: 34.85 m² (375 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 7,050 kg (15,600 lb)
  • Loaded weight: 9,600 kg (21,164 lb)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 13,700 kg (30,203 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet
    • Dry thrust: 41.97 kN (9,436 lbf)
    • Thrust with afterburner: 60.80 kN (13,668 lbf)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 2 (2,350 km/h, 1,268 knots, 1,460 mph) at 12,000 m (39,370 ft)
  • Combat radius: 1,200 km (647 nmi, 746 mi)
  • Ferry range: 3,335 km ()
  • Service ceiling: 17,000 m (55,775 ft)
  • Rate of climb: 46,600 ft/min ()

Armament

  • Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons with 125 rounds per gun
  • Rockets: 2× Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack, each with 19× SNEB 68 mm rockets and 66 US gallons (250 liters) of fuel
  • Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders OR Matra R550 Magics plus 1× Matra R530,
  • Bombs: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints, including a variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks; French Air Force IIIEs through 1991, equipped for AN-52 nuclear bomb.