Dassault Mirage F2 / F3

Summary

Description

In 1963, the French Air Force established a set of requirements for a future replacement for the Mirage III. It needed to be primarily a low-altitude, all-weather penetration aircraft, as well as a supersonic interceptor. It had to be capable of using short runways and landing at speeds under 260 km/h.

Dassault then set aside the delta wing configuration and instead used the Mirage V airframe, incorporating a high-mounted, high-lift, 55° swept-back wing, as well as a low-set horizontal stabilizer on the airframe. This combination allowed for a good compromise between high-speed flight and landing distance. Dassault proposed the Mirage III F, which was ordered by the French Air Force on November 21, 1963. In 1965, the French Air Force placed an order for 3 prototypes, which were later renamed Mirage F2.

Initially powered by a TF-30 engine producing 8400 kgp with afterburner (the same engine used in the Tomcat), the Mirage F2-01 made its first flight from Istres on June 12, 1966, piloted by Jean Coureau. Later, it was equipped with the TF-306 engine producing 9000 kgp, a version of the TF-30 developed by Snecma under Pratt & Whitney license. On its second flight with the new engine, on December 29, it reached Mach 2 and landed within a distance of 480 meters. Flight data was transmitted for the first time through telemetry, allowing the ground team to monitor the flight and support the crew.

However, due to France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated command, air defense became a priority for the French Air Force. Despite already having a number of penetration aircraft, they lacked interceptors. Since May 1966, Dassault, who was not fully convinced by the F2, had to turn it into a pure interceptor. The aircraft manufacturer then proposed the Mirage F3, a smaller single-seat aircraft powered by a version of the TF-306 engine producing 10,000 kgp. Israel, which had shown interest in the low-altitude penetration fighter project to the extent of considering ordering 50, then turned away from the project.

The development of the Mirage F2/F3 was halted in November 1967. The F3 prototype fell victim to the promising results of the Mirage G program (with variable geometry wings), its high cost, and the reliance on American technology for its engines. However, the French Air Force did order around a hundred Mirage F1 aircraft (developed in parallel with the program), which were lighter and multirole, possibly due to their greater potential for export. This potential proved to be true.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

No country is operating the Mirage F2 / F3 in 2024.

All operators

France

Photo of Mirage F2 / F3