List of Dassault Mirage III operators


This is a list of Dassault Mirage IIIs, Dassault Mirage 5s, and Mirage 50s used by national air forces. The Central Intelligence Agency once estimated that a slightly over 800 of the three aircraft types had been exported to various countries around the world.
The key "1S" indicates a single-seat Mirage fighter, while "2S" indicates a two-seat Mirage, and "PR" indicates a photo reconnaissance aircraft.

Operators

Abu Dhabi and the UAE

;Abu Dhabi Defence Force
;United Arab Emirates Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 12 5AD + 14 5EAD
  • 2S: 3 5DAD
  • PR: 3 RAD
Out of Service. All of the remaining aircraft were sold to Egypt in 2004.

Argentina

;Argentine Air Force
  • Escuadrón I de Caza Interceptora, later Grupo VIII de Caza, based at [Mariano Mariano Moreno Airport|Moreno Airport|Moreno]
  • Grupo VI de Caza, based at Tandil
  • Grupo X de Caza, based at Río Gallegos
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 19 IIICJ + 17 IIIEA
  • 2S: 3 IIIBJ + 4 IIIDA
  • Plus 35 IAI 1S Dagger A + 4 2S Dagger T. Survivors locally updated to Finger standards.
  • Plus 10 5P. Survivors locally updated to Mara standards.
  • IIICJs & IIIBJs were ex-Israeli, 5Ps were ex-Peruvian.
All were retired in December 2015.

Australia

;Royal Australian Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 49 IIIO + 51 IIIO
  • 2S: 16 IIID
116 Mirage IIIs were in service with the RAAF from 1964 to 1989. Most built locally, 50 sold to Pakistan in 1990, together with additional engines and spare parts.

Belgium

;Belgian Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 63 5BA
  • 2S: 16 5BD
  • PR: 27 5BR
All but three of the aircraft were built locally under license. A minor "MIRSIP" upgrade was performed on 20 survivors in the early 1990s, but all were then retired. 25 aircraft, including all of the upgraded ones, were transferred to Chile as Elkans in 1995-1996.

Brazil

;Brazilian Air Force
  • 1° Grupo de Defesa Aérea, based at Anápolis
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 22 F-103E
  • 2S: 6 F-103D + 4 IIIBBR
Survivors upgraded with canards starting from 1989. One F-103E fitted with a refueling probe in 1992. Last one retired in 2005.

Chile

;Chilean Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 6 50C + 8 50FC + 15 5MA "Elkan"
  • 2S: 3 50DC + 5 5MD "Elkan" + 1 non-modernized ex-Belgian Air Force 5BD
  • PR: 4 non-modernized ex-Belgian Air Force 5BR
50FC were upgraded by Dassault from French Air Force 5Fs. All of the surviving Mirage 50s were updated by Enaer to Pantera standard from 1988 to 2002.
Elkans are modernized ex-Belgian Air Force Mirage 5s.
Some ex-South African Cheetahs as spares.
Retired on 31 December 2007

Colombia

;Colombian Air Force
  • Comando Aéreo de Combate No. 1, later renamed Grupo de Combate No. 11, Base Militar de Palanquero, Puerto Salgar
  • *Escuadrón de Combate No. 212
  • *Escuadrón de Combate No. 213, later renamed Escuadrón de Combate No.111 "Dardos"
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 14 5COA. Survivors converted to 5COAM
  • 2S: 2 5COD. Survivors converted to 5CODM
  • PR: 2 5COR. Survivor converted to 5COAM
Starting in the late 1980s, surviving Colombian Mirages were upgraded to an improved standard, with new avionics similar to those found on the Kfir, as well as canards and an in-flight refueling probe. The upgraded aircraft were designated Mirage 5COAM/CODM.
All were retired in 2009.

Ecuador

;Ecuadorian Air Force
Delivered in late 2009 as a gift from Venezuela, but without air-to-air or anti-ship missiles and never served operationally. Stored at first at the Base Aérea Eloy Alfaro, then at Base Aérea Taura.
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 4 50V
  • 2S: 2 50DV

Egypt

;Egyptian Air Force
  • 211th Fighter Ground Attach Brigade at Jiyanklis Air Base
  • * 69th Squadron
  • 236th Fighter Ground Attach Brigade at the Birma Air Base
  • * 71st Squadron
  • * 73rd Squadron
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 54 5SDE + 16 5E2 + 7 5AD + 9 5EAD
  • 2S: 6 5SDD
  • PR: 6 5SDR + 1 5RAD
  • 4 ex-Spanish Air Force IIIDE and 4 ex-Zairian 5M bought for spares in 2006.

France

;French Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 95 IIIC + 183 IIIE + 58 5F
  • 2S: 27 IIIB + 5 IIIB1 + 10 IIIB2 + 20 IIIBE
  • PR: 50 IIIR + 20 IIIRD
All aircraft retired.

Gabon

;Gabon Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 3 5G + 4 5G2
  • 2S: 2 5DG + 2 5DG2
Retired around 2006-2008, although all flying activity had already been stopped in the mid-1990s.

Israel

;Israeli Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
All of the aircraft are withdrawn from use. 39 Neshers, including 4 two-seaters, were transferred to Argentina between 1978 and the beginning of 1982. 19 IIICJ and 3 IIIBJ followed, between December 1982 and February 1983.

Lebanon

;Lebanese Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 10 IIIEL
  • 2S: 2 IIIBL
Delivered in 1968 as a gift from France, all grounded in the 1970's due to lack of founds. All surviving aircraft were sold to Pakistan in 2000.

Libya

;Libyan Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 53 5D + 32 5DE
  • 2S: 15 5DD
  • PR: 10 5DR
Most of the surviving aircraft were sold to Pakistan as part of Project ROSE in 2004-2005.

Pakistan

;Pakistan Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 18 IIIEP + 28 5PA + 18 5PA2 + 12 5PA3 + 43 IIIO + 15 IIIEE + 35 5F + 32 5D + 29 5DE
  • 2S: 5 IIIDP + 2 5DPA2 + 7 IIID + 9 IIIBE + 5 IIIDE + 1 IIIEL + 12 5DD
  • PR: 3 IIIRP + 10 IIIRP2 + 6 5DR
The Pakistan Air Force is the largest operator of the Dassault Mirage III/5 with a fleet strength of around 156 aircraft. The fleet consists of fighters built for Pakistan in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, as well as used French, Australian, Libyan, Spanish and Lebanese aircraft bought in the 1990s and early 2000s. Some 35 of the Australian-built Mirage IIIO variant were modernized with new avionics under the first stage of the ROSE (Retrofit Of Strike Element) upgrade programme to make air superiority specialized "ROSE I" fighters.
Note that some of the second-hand aircraft never flew with the PAF, being used only for spare parts or as training aids. Pakistan is capable of locally refurbishing its Mirages at the Mirage Rebuild Factory of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
All Mirage III/Mirage 5 aircraft are to be retired and replaced with the Pakistan/China produced JF-17 by 2025.

Peru

;Peruvian Air Force
  • Grupo Aéreo N°6 at the Base Aérea "Pedro Ruiz Gallo"
  • * Escuadrón Aéreo N°611
  • * Escuadrón Aéreo N°612
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 22 5P + 10 5P3 + 2 5P4
  • 2S: 4 5DP + 1 5DP3 + 1 5DP4
10 5P were transferred to Argentina in 1982. All of the 15 surviving aircraft were upgraded to Mirage 5P4/5DP4 standards from 1985 to 1990.
Survivors stored by 2002.

South Africa

;South African Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 2S: 3 IIIBZ + 3 IIIDZ + 11 IIID2Z
  • PR: 4 IIIRZ + 4 IIIR2Z
All out of service, some having been upgraded to Cheetah standards. There were 16 Cheetah E conversions, 16 Cheetah D conversions, and one Cheetah R conversion.
Some Cheetah Es were sold to Chile for use as spare parts for Panteras.

Spain

;Spanish Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 24 C.11
  • 2S: 7 CE.11
Upgrade plan cancelled in 1991. Withdrawn from service in October 1992. Some survivors were used as part of the payment for the Mirage F1M upgrade and later sold to Pakistan.

Switzerland

;Swiss Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 1 IIICS + 36 IIIS
  • 2S: 3 IIIBS + 2 IIIDS
  • PR: 18 IIIRS
Most built locally, many upgraded with canards, optics etc. Withdrawn from service in 2003.
One Mirage IIIDS flew passengers until May 25th of 2023 when it was retired.

Venezuela

;Venezuelan Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 7 IIIEV + 6 5V + 9 50EV
  • 2S: 3 5DV + 1 50DV
All of the surviving Mirage III/5s were modernized into Mirage 50s. The last Mirage 50s were retired from service in November 2009. Six of them were donated to Ecuador.

Zaire

;Zairean Air Force
Total number of aircraft delivered:
  • 1S: 14 5M
  • 2S: 3 5DM
The three undelivered Mirage 5Ms were bought back by Dassault in 1979. Four more followed in 1983. Of these, one became the first Egyptian Mirage 5E2, two were transformed into Mirage 5G2s for Gabon, three were rebuilt into Mirage 50EVs for Venezuela, and one served as a source of spares at Dassault's Biarritz facility. In 1989, the six last surviving aircraft were brought back to France. Of these, two Mirage 5DMs were sold to Brazil in 1996, and four Mirage 5Ms went to Egypt in 2006.