Dassault Mirage IVP
| Mirage IV | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A French Air Force Mirage IV | |
| Role | Supersonic strategic bomber |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation |
| First flight | 17 June 1959 |
| Introduction | 1 October 1964 |
| Retired | 1996 all bomber variants 2005 all reconnaissance variants |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | French Air Force |
| Produced | 1963–1968 |
| Number built | 62 + 4 prototypes |
| Developed from | Dassault Mirage III |
The Dassault Mirage IV was a French jet-propelled supersonic strategic bomber and deep-reconnaissance aircraft. Developed by Dassault Aviation, the aircraft entered service with the French Air Force in October 1964. For many years it was a vital part of the nuclear triad of the Force de Frappe, France's nuclear deterrent striking force. The Mirage IV was retired from the nuclear strike role in 1996, and the type was entirely retired from operational service in 2005.
During the 1960s, there were plans of export sales for the Mirage IV; in one proposal, Dassault would have entered a partnership with the British Aircraft Corporation to jointly produce a Mirage IV variant for the Royal Air Force and potentially for other export customers, but this project did not come to fruition. The Mirage IV was ultimately not adopted by any other operators beyond the French Air Force.
During the 1950s, France embarked on an extensive military program to produce nuclear weapons; however, it was acknowledged that existing French aircraft were unsuitable for the task of delivering the weapons. Thus, the development of a supersonic bomber designed to carry out the delivery mission started in 1956 as a part of the wider development of France's independent nuclear deterrent. In May 1956, the Guy Mollet government drew up a specification for an aerially-refuelable supersonic bomber capable of carrying a 3-metric-ton, 5.2-meter-long nuclear bomb 2,000 km (without aerial refuelling). According to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, the specification's inclusion of supersonic speed was "surprising" to many at the time.
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