Dassault Mirage 5
Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1967 · fighter
A simplified clear-weather ground-attack derivative of the Mirage IIIE, with the radar deleted in favour of extra fuel.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.56 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | No tailplane |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tailless low-mounted delta wing with a single swept fin and no tailplane
- Long slender pointed nose lacking the Mirage III radar radome bulge
- Pitot tube mounted under the nose rather than at the tip
A tailless delta like the Mirage III but with a slim pointed nose and no radome bulge. The under-nose pitot tube is the key spotter's difference.
Specifications
- The Dassault Mirage 5 has a length of 15.56 m (51 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.22 m (27 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 2350 km/h (1460 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed in the mid-1960s for an Israeli clear-weather attack requirement, the Mirage 5 first flew in 1967. Removing the Cyrano radar and complex avionics freed roughly a third more internal fuel.
Variants
It became Dassault's most exported Mirage, with spin-offs including the radar-equipped Mirage 50 and Pakistan's Project ROSE upgrades.
Where you'll see it
Flown by Belgium, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Chile, Argentina and others, and seen in combat in the Falklands and the Middle East. Not seen in UK skies.
Related aircraft
- Dassault Mirage 5F
- Dassault Mirage 5P
- Dassault Hirondelle
- Dassault Mirage F1
- Aermacchi / CAC MB-326H
- BAC Jet Provost T.5
- BAC Strikemaster
- Dassault Mirage IIID
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