Dassault Mirage F1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault_Mirage_F1

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.

The Dassault Mirage F1 was a single-engine fighter aircraft, designed to
function as both an interceptor aircraft and as a capable ground attack
platform. While officially developed for the French Air Force as a capable air
defense aircraft, Dassault had placed considerable emphasis on developing the
Mirage F1 for ground attack duties as a secondary role during its early design.
Developed by the company to function as a successor to the successful Mirage III
and Mirage 5 families, it drew heavily upon its predecessors as well, sharing
the same fuselage as the Mirage III, while adopting a considerably different
wing configuration.

The Mirage F1 used a shoulder-mounted swept wing, instead of the Delta wing of
the Mirage III, which resulted in a more than 50% reduction in required runway
lengths and increased internal fuel tankage for 40% greater combat range. The
approach speed prior to landing is 25% less than the preceding Mirage IIIE.
According to Dassault, the negative performance impact associated with the
increased thickness of the Mirage F1's wing over the Mirage III's counterpart
had been offset by improvements made to the propulsion system. The wing is
fitted with both double-slotted trailing edge flaps and full-span leading edge
slats, the latter being automatically operated to reduce the aircraft's turn
radius during combat.


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

During 1984, the first operational deployment to be performed by French Air
Force Mirage F1s was conducted during Operation Manta, the French intervention
in Chad to counteract the growing Libyan encroachment in the region. A force of
four Mirage F1C-200s provided air cover for a further group of four Jaguar
strike aircraft; they also participated in a number of skirmishes against
pro-Libyan Transitional Government of National Unity (GUNT) rebels.

In response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, France performed two deployments of
Mirage F1s to the Persian Gulf. In October 1991, 12 Mirage F1Cs were dispatched
to Doha, Qatar in order to boost air defences, while a further four Mirage F1CRs
of ER 33 were deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Daguet in September
1991. To avoid the risk of being mistaken for hostile Iraqi Mirage F1s, all of
the French F1CRs were grounded during the first few days of the Allied air
attacks, flying their first combat mission on 26 January 1991; an additional
reason for their initial grounding was the lack of compatible night vision
equipment. They were used in the fighter bomber role, using their more capable
navigation systems to lead formations of French Jaguar fighter bombers, as well
as to fly reconnaissance missions; in this capacity, 114 sorties had been flown
by the end of hostilities. Following the end of the Gulf War, France deployed a
number of Mirage F1CRs to bases in neighbouring Turkey as part of Operation
Provide Comfort to protect Kurds from Iraqi aggression.

During March 2011, 2/33 Mirage F1CRs were deployed to Solenzara Air Base,
Corsica and conducted reconnaissance missions over Libya (also a Mirage F1
operator) as part of Opération Harmattan. In 2013 2/33 F1CRs also participated
in Operation Serval in Mali. On 10 January, launching from their base in
N'Djamena in Chad, the first French air intervention mission against Islamist
rebels in Mali, was undertaken by F1CRs and Mirage 2000Ds, supported by a French
Air Force C-135K tanker. The 2/33 F1CRs provided valuable photo information for
strike aircraft flying the next day from France. Later on 16 January, two 2/33
F1CRs, were deployed from Chad to Bamako, Mali. Both aircraft were fitted with
extra long range 2,200 liter ventral tanks; and when operating over Mali also
carried two 250 kg unguided bombs, plus their one internal 30mm cannon, in case
they were called on for close air support missions.

In order to replace the elderly F1CRs of 2/33s, a number of Rafales were
outfitted with an advanced reconnaissance pod. The Rafale's range,
maneuverability and combat load is far superior to the F1CR that it replaces, as
well as its reconnaissance capabilities: after the Rafale's pod has taken
photographs, these can be almost instantly transmitted back to its base or where
the imagery would be required if provisioned with compatible down link
equipment. The French Air Force's last Mirage F1 fighters were retired from
operational service on 13 June 2014. The last units in service, these being 11
single-seat Mirage F1CRs and three two-seat F1Bs were transferred to storage;
six aircraft performed a final appearance in a flypast during Bastille Day
celebrations over Paris prior to their disposal.

Specifications (Mirage F1)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 15.30 m (50 ft 2½ in)
Wingspan: 8.40 m (27 ft 6¾ in)
Height: 4.50 m (14 ft 9 in)
Wing area: 25.00 m² (269.1 ft²)
Empty weight: 7,400 kg (16,314 lb)
Loaded weight: 10,900 kg (24,030 lb) (clean take-off weight)
Max. takeoff weight: 16,200 kg (35,715 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA Atar 9K-50 afterburning turbojet Dry thrust: 49.03 kN
(11,023 lbf)
Thrust with afterburner: 70.6 kN (15,873 lbf)


Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,338 km/h, 1,262 knots, 1,453 mph) at 11,000 m (36,090
ft)
Combat radius: 425 km (230 nm, 265 mi) hi-lo-hi at Mach 0.75/0.88 with 14 × 250
kg bombs
Ferry range: 3,300 km (1,780 nmi, 2,050 mi)
Endurance: 2 hr 15 min (combat air patrol, with 2 × Super 530 missiles and
centreline drop tank)
Service ceiling: 20,000 m (65,600 ft)
Rate of climb: 243 m/s (47,835 ft/min) at high altitude

Armament

Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 553 cannons with 150 rounds per gun
Hardpoints: 1 centreline pylon, four underwing and two wingtip pylons with a
capacity of 6,300 kg (13,900 lb) (practical maximum load 4,000 kg (8,800 lb))
and provisions to carry combinations of: Rockets: 8× Matra rocket pods with 18×
SNEB 68 mm rockets each
Bombs: various
Other: reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks

Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders OR Matra R550 Magics on wingtip pylons, 2× Super
530Fs underwing, 1× AM-39 Exocets anti-ship missile, 2× AS-30L laser-guided
missiles





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