Mirage F1 CR
| Mirage F1 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| A Spanish Air Force Mirage F1M | |
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation |
| First flight | 23 December 1966 |
| Introduction | 1973 |
| Status | Retired from the French Air Force operational service in June 2014. In service in Gabon, Iran, Libya and Morocco |
| Primary users |
French Air Force (historical) Iraqi Air Force (historical) Hellenic Air Force (historical) Spanish Air Force(historical) |
| Produced | 1966–1992 |
| Number built | 720 |
| Developed from | Dassault Mirage III |
The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family.
During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would become the Mirage F1 as a private venture, alongside the larger Mirage F2. Work on the F1 eventually took precedence over the more costly F2, which was cancelled during the late 1960s. The French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) took interest in the fledgling fighter to meet its requirement for an all-weather interceptor aircraft. Accordingly, initial production units were equipped with the Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV monopulse radar. During the latter half of 1974, the Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force. Shortly thereafter, the type was deployed as the main interceptor of the French Air Force, a capacity which it continued to serve in until the arrival of the Mirage 2000. It later transitioned to an aerial reconnaissance role. During June 2014, the last French Mirage F1s was retired from service.
Powered by a single SNECMA Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine, which provided about 7 tonnes-force (69 kN; 15,000 lbf) of thrust, and armed with an array of French and American-sources armaments, the Mirage F1 has been operated as a light multipurpose fighter and has been exported to around a dozen nations. The type has seen action in a large number of armed conflicts involving several of its operators, including the Paquisha War, the Cenepa War, the Iran–Iraq War, the Gulf War, the South African Border War, the War in Afghanistan, the Chadian–Libyan conflict, the 2011 military intervention in Libya, and the Northern Mali conflict. More than 720 Mirage F1s were constructed between 1966 and 1992. It was succeeded in production by the Dassault Mirage 2000.
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