Dassault Mirage F1

Dassault Mirage F1 History

The Dassault Mirage F1 was developed to replace the successful Dassault Mirage III series. With many new features added to this new aircraft, the Mirage F1 will be a major upgrade for the entire Mirage family and will continue to serve into the new millennium. Mirage F1 was built with performance and a multi-role perspective in mind. Designed for high-speed handling with low- or high-altitude performance, the multi-purpose capability of a fighter or fighter role, the aircraft provides pilots with some small amenities for long-duration missions requiring short turnaround times. The Mirage F1 performed well, especially in the Greco-Greek Air Force, its arrival as a testament to 28 years of deterrence against Turkish air strikes.

Over 720 Mirage F1 prototypes were produced. The F1 remains one of the most combat-ready aircraft systems of the Cold War.

The F1 first flew on December 23, 1966, as a Dassault-funded prototype designed to replace the aging Mirage III and Mirage 5 models. Unlike previous Dassault products, the F1 eschews the traditional low delta wing configuration in favor of a high swept wing arrangement.

The French Air Force liked this promising design and selected it for further development in May 1967 as an additional prototype against available threats. The resulting design proved to be a better product than the aircraft that would replace the F1, with strong, sleek lines and a powerful Cyrano radar system.

In May 1973, production inevitably began and reached full operational status.

This single-engine, overhead, swept-wing aircraft is powered by a 15,785-pound SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet engine fed by two side-mounted air intakes. The F1 has a single-seat cockpit at the front of the streamlined fuselage. Amenities such as automatic launch, sunroof glass and pressurized refueling systems provide aircraft operators with the advantages of low-maintenance, high-performance aircraft.

Further development (starting with the Mirage F1C-200) led to the integration of an aerial refueling probe, which significantly increased the combat radius. The unique high swept wing design combined with a single vertical tail enables the aircraft to take off and land with minimal runway use.

Standard armament is two 30mm cannons and two Matra R530 series medium-range air-to-air missiles. The missiles initially remained under the wings, although wingtip rails were later added to use the short-range Matra R550 Magic and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the latter at the request of the US-friendly Greek Air Force (which had its own Mirage F1CG model).

The F1 basic fighters are designated as F1CE (Spain), F1CG (Greece), F1CH (Morocco), F1CJ (Jordan), F1CK (Kuwait), F1CK-2 (Kuwait - subsequent order) and F1CZ (South Africa). The order totals about 175 export aircraft. The two-seat F1B trainer is also sold abroad along with the single-seat F1A ground attack aircraft. The F1E became an all-weather, multi-role fighter and ground attack.

The Mirage F1D is a two-seater trainer derived from the F1E multirole ground attack fighter model. The Mirage F1CR is a dedicated reconnaissance model. The Mirage F1CT became a tactical ground attack variant based on the Mirage F1C-200.

The F1AZ and F1CZ are respectively the ground attack and radar equipment models exported from South Africa. The Mirage F1CG is a Greek-operated single-seat fighter jet with over 100,000,000 hours of flying over water with low structural stress.

The Mirage F1M-53 was a development of the Mirage F1 to participate in NATO trials to replace the Lockheed F-104 starfighter in service at the time (the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon eventually won).

The aircraft became a highly regarded interceptor - one of the best at the time of its launch - based on its capabilities and strong nose radar. The system can track and attack multiple targets at any altitude at the pilot's discretion.

The integrated weapons system even selects the right weapon for the situation and fires when the target is at optimal range.

In terms of combat stress (a safe proving ground for any aircraft design), F1 has been at the forefront of Cold War-era conflicts around the world. Mirage took part in the border war with the South African Air Force. Morocco uses this type to fight local insurgents.

Ecuador used the aircraft in its Paquisha war and subsequent Cenepa war against Peru. France has a chance to test the lethality of F1 in its operation against Libyan rebels targeting Chad. Spain operated its F1 in various forms for over 30 years before replacing it with the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Iraq is a well-known user of F1. They carried the type in the war with Iran with moderate success in anti-ship, interception and strike operations. Overall, poor pilot training and a lack of combat experience meant that F1 was largely underperforming.

Likewise, the Mirage F1 was completely defeated by coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War, but not because of the aircraft's lack of capability.

Recently (2007) a number of F1 teams were used by France in a promotional campaign in southern Afghanistan. At the time of writing, Greece, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and South Africa no longer use the Mirage F1 service.

Finally, the F1 series proved to be a welcome addition to the Mirage series. Modernization programs and upgrades to avionics and weapons systems ensure that the Mirage F1 will continue to fly for years to come. There is no doubt that the system will be used for longer in third world countries. The French Air Force used the F1 until they were replaced by the updated Mirage 2000 series.

A key consideration for the entire F1 is its longevity after decades of consistent (and heavy) use - a testament to its successful design.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes