Dassault Mirage IIID
Government Aircraft Factories · Australia · first flew 1967 · fighter
The Mirage IIID is the Australian two-seat tandem trainer variant of the Mirage III, licence-built by the Government Aircraft Factories at Fishermens Bend and equivalent in configuration to the French Mirage IIIB.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Two-seat tandem Mirage III built in Australia — same stretched fuselage as IIIB but Australian-manufactured |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat tandem Mirage III built in Australia — same stretched fuselage as IIIB but Australian-manufactured
- Nose strakes added below radome distinguish Australian aircraft at close range
- RAAF markings and Australian licence-production detail differences
Identical in silhouette to the French Mirage IIIB: lengthened forward fuselage, twin canopies, blunt non-radar nose. Australian aircraft carry small additional nose strakes beneath the radome and wear RAAF roundels with the distinctive red kangaroo marking.
Specifications
- The Dassault Mirage IIID has a length of 15.65 m (51 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.22 m (27 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 2100 km/h (1305 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Australia selected the Mirage III in 1960 and negotiated a licence-production agreement with Dassault and the French government. GAF assembled 16 IIID two-seaters alongside 98 IIIO single-seaters. The type entered RAAF service in the late 1960s and was retained for conversion and currency training until the Mirage was retired in favour of the F/A-18 Hornet in 1988.
Variants
IIIO(D) is the formal designation used within the Australian programme for this two-seat trainer sub-type.
Where you'll see it
Royal Australian Air Force only; used exclusively for type conversion and currency flying by No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit.
Related aircraft
- Dassault Mirage IIIO
- GAF N22 Nomad
- GAF Nomad
- Aermacchi / CAC MB-326H
- BAC Jet Provost T.5
- BAC Strikemaster
- Dassault Mirage 5
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.