Dassault Mirage 5F
Dassault Aviation · France · first flew 1967 · fighter
The Mirage 5F is the variant of the Mirage 5 ground-attack aircraft operated by the French Armée de l'Air, comprising the 50 aircraft originally ordered by Israel in 1966 but embargoed by President de Gaulle following the June 1967 war.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 15.55 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Flat-sided conical nose — no Cyrano radar bulge — immediately distinguishes Mirage 5 family from Mirage III interceptors
- Nose is ~0.5 m longer than Mirage IIIC; pitot repositioned below nose apex
- Ordered for Israel, embargoed by de Gaulle in 1967, delivered to French Air Force from 1972
The defining characteristic of all Mirage 5 variants is the plain conical nose without the pronounced Cyrano radar bulge of the Mirage III. The nose is also measurably longer. From above, the delta planform and overall silhouette are identical to the Mirage III.
Specifications
- The Dassault Mirage 5F has a length of 15.55 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.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Israel ordered 50 Mirage 5 aircraft in 1966 as a simplified, clear-weather ground-attack version of the Mirage III with the radar removed to allow extra fuel and weapons. De Gaulle imposed an arms embargo after the Six-Day War, leaving 50 completed airframes in French storage. France eventually took delivery of these as the Mirage 5F from 1972–73, integrating them into Armée de l'Air service. Israel meanwhile developed its own copy — the Nesher.
Variants
The 5F is the French Air Force sub-designation. Other national Mirage 5 variants include the 5P (Pakistan), 5BA (Belgium), 5SDE (Egypt) and many others.
Where you'll see it
Armée de l'Air, Escadre de Chasse, from 1972. The 5F eventually received Thomson-CSF Agave radar upgrades and new avionics; many were sold or transferred abroad in the 1980s.
Related aircraft
- Dassault Mirage 5
- 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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