Dassault Mirage 5/50

     Notes: This is the ground attack variant of the Mirage III.  The Mirage 5 can carry a heavier weapon load, and has two extra hardpoints on the rear fuselage for bombs. The Mirage 5 has no air-to-air radar in its base variant; the Israelis, for which the design was made, said that the weather over the Mideast was usually clear and sunny, and an air intercept radar would not be necessary in an attack aircraft.  They are used by Abu Dhabi, Argentina, Columbia, Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Zaire, Chile, and Venezuela.  They were never used by France, but Israel received a number of them, which they developed into the Nesher and the Kfir.  (The Israelis were embargoed due Mideast tensions; unofficially, the Israelis got their 50 Mirage 5s packed in crates labeled as other merchandise; officially, they received the blueprints for the Mirage 5 and with some improvements, built the IAI Nesher.) The Mirage 5 is powered by a SNECMA Atar 9K-9C turbojet, with 9442 pounds thrust, or 13241 pounds thrust in afterburner.

Belgian Variants (Not actually flown by Belgium…)

     The Belgians flew Mirage 5s for some time, long enough for them to consider an upgrade. This upgrade program was called MIRSIP, and after doing all that work on an upgraded Mirage 5, the Belgian government cancelled the upgrade program, and though SABCA (the Belgian aircraft plant) was allowed to complete the initial upgrades, the Belgian government would not allow the Belgian Air Force to receive them.  Instead, the 20 MIRSIP Mirage 5s, along with five non-upgraded Mirage 5s, were sold to Chile. The MIRSIP Mirage 5s were modified to mount canards on the upper air intakes to improve takeoff, landing, and low-speed performance. Other upgrades included a more modern cockpit, a new ejection seat, and a laser rangefinder. The Chileans designated the MIRSIP Mirage 5s Mirage 5MA Elkans.

     The Argentine Air Force flew the slightly upgraded Mirage 5P Mara, equipped with a new ejection seat, a more modern cockpit, and a laser rangefinder; it is identical to the Mirage 5MA Elkan for game purposes.

     Standard Belgian Mirage 5s were designated Mirage 5BAs.  They were filled mostly with US-designed and built avionics, but are otherwise the same as standard Mirage 5s for game purposes (except for parts hunters and scroungers).

Columbian Mirage 5s

     A two-seat Mirage 5 is designated the Mirage 5D.  Columbian Mirage 5CODs have updated electronics in both their navigation and attack suites, and have canards for enhanced maneuverability and low-speed handling.

Egyptian Mirage 5s

     The base Egyptian Mirage 5 is radar-equipped and is equivalent to the Mirage IIIE, found in French Fighters (and designated the Mirage 5SDE).  The Mirage 5E2 is a standard Mirage 5, without radar, but with the navigation and attack suite found in the Alpha Jet MS2.

Peruvian Mirage 5s

     The Mirage 5P3 is a version built for Peru, with all the improvements of the Mirage 5P Mara/Mirage 5MA Elkan, and also an inertial navigation system, a radio altimeter and an IFF. The Mirage 5P4, also built for Peru, builds on the Mirage 5P3, and adds a heads-up display, HOTAS controls, and an in-flight refueling probe. The Mirage 5DP3 two-seat version has the same improvements as on the Mirage 5P3. The Mirage DP4 has all the improvements of the Mirage 5P4, except for the refueling probe.

Pakistani Mirage 5s

     The Mirage 5PA was originally a standard Mirage 5, but was later modernized with a HUD and INS. The Mirage 5PA2s were new build aircraft, and modernized with the same ingredients as the Mirage 5PA, as well as an Agave radar set in the nose. The Mirage 5PA3 is the same as the Mirage 5PA2, but also has software and special hardpoints able to carry the Exocet antishipping missile. Other Pakistani Mirage 5s were modernized under Project ROSE, which done under a consortium with Australia and Italy.  This gave the Mirage 5 ROSE aircraft a short-range radar, primarily used to find and designate ground targets, though it has air-to-air value as well. Two extra hardpoints are mounted under the forward fuselage. The Pakistanis gathered together a number of second-hand Mirage IIIEs and Mirage 5s; however, Project ROSE was terminated due to the poor shape most of the second-hand Mirages were in. (Ex-Australian and ex-Belgian Mirage 5s were generally in good condition, while those bought from Lebanon, Libya and Spain had seen hard times and poor maintenance.)

Mirage 50

     The Mirage 50 is a Mirage 5 with a more powerful engine and a radar set, as well as more sophisticated ground attack avionics and air-to-air radar.  It can carry heavier loads and radar-homing missiles.  The engine of the Mirage 50 is a more powerful Atar 9K-50 turbojet, with 11055 pounds thrust, or 15872 pounds in afterburner. Many Mirage 50s are upgraded Mirage 5s.

Chilean Mirage 50s

     Chilean Mirage 50s incorporate some of the improvements of the Israeli Kfir series of fighters, and have a Kfir’s nose as well as a Kfir’s canards and nose strakes. These variants are known as ENAER Panteras. They also have modernized avionics.

Venezuelan Mirage 50s

     The Mirage 50EV is fitted with Kfir-like canards, a longer-range Cyrano IVM3 radar, an INS, and a HUD tuned to air-to-air and air-to-ground combat (the option is switchable, much like the F/A-18). The Mirage 50EV is equipped with an in-flight refueling probe. The Mirage 50DV is a two-seat trainer/attack version, with more compact, shorter-range radar, and a nonfunctional fuel probe (the probe can connect for training purposes, but no fuel transfer is possible), but otherwise has the same avionics as the Mirage 50EV.

Dassault Mirage 2000D

     Notes: This is the ground-attack variant of the Mirage 2000 fighter-bomber, with an extra crewman (weapons officer) and different avionics.  It may be distinguished from the Mirage 2000 fighter-bomber by its longer nose, internal fuel probe, and larger hardpoints.  It is capable of aerial refueling and has ejection seats for its crew.  It is used only by France.

     The Mirage 2000D is based on the Mirage 2000B two-seat trainer, but has considerable changes, not the least of which is heavy strengthening for long-distance high-speed low-level penetration flights. The Mirage 2000D is fitted with an Antilope 5 radar system (Antilope 50 in the R2), which provides terrain-following radar, targeting, and short-range air-to-air radar. (Mirage 2000Ds normally carry a pair of Matra Magic or Mica AAMs on strike missions.) Terrain following can be provided at up to 1112 kilometers per hour (Tr Mov 2224, Com Mov 1653). Penetration is aided by the Sabre ECM/IRCM system and the Spirale Flare/Chaff system, unified (in the case of the R2) by the Samir EW Suite. The second seat displaces a fuel tank, and the Mirage 2000D does not carry as much internal fuel as the Mirage 2000 fighter bomber; Mirage 2000Ds normally overcompensate for this by carrying a pair of 2000-liter drop tanks, which were specially designed for the Mirage 2000 series. The Mirage 2000D is powered by a SNECMA M53-P2 turbofan, with 14000 pounds of thrust, or 21400 pounds thrust in afterburner.

     The R1 and R2 are differentiated by the R2’s increased avionics fit, and by the R1 being unable to use cruise missiles such as the Apache and Scalp. The R1 does not have the software or the hardpoints necessary to carry and use cruise missiles. The Mirage 2000N-K1 is a nuclear strike platform designed to replace the Mirage IVP bomber; the Mirage 2000N-K2 is also a nuclear-capable aircraft, but has a secondary conventional strike mission, and is equivalent to the Mirage 2000D-R2 for game purposes. The Mirage 2000N-K3 is a K1 updated and given a secondary ELINT role; the K3 carries an ELINT suite as well as an automatic ELINT recording system which records the enemy electronic emitters in its path of flight for later analysis.  Two of its hardpoints are dedicated to the ELINT suite.  In addition, a further hardpoint is used by a digital photographic pod with four apertures. The Mirage 2000N-K3 is still able to undertake strike missions or nuclear strike missions while doing reconnaissance.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Some of the Mirage 2000Ns were responsible for nuclear strikes against German forces in the Rhineland.

*The Mirage 2000D has an armored cockpit and canopy which have an AV of 7.

Dassault-Breguet Super Etendard

     Notes: This French-made strike fighter was first introduced in 1978.  The only other buyer of this aircraft is Argentina, who used them with great success in the Falklands War against Britain, especially in the sinkings of the HMS Sheffield and Atlantic Conveyor.  The Iraqis used some on a temporary lease, where their typical prey was oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. French examples saw action in the Kosovo War, Afghanistan, and Libya, and against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. French models were upgraded starting in 1990 with additional avionics to increase their survivability and accuracy in strikes, but they are being increasingly replaced with the naval model of the Rafale.  They are largely carrier-based aircraft in the French Navy, but land-based in Argentine service, as the single Argentine aircraft carrier suffered from reliability problems. 

It is possible that ex-Argentine Super Etendards will be supplied to Ukraine, after upgrading to French standards.

     The Super Etendard is an upgrade of the 1950s Etendard IVP, slightly longer to accommodate a SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet with 11025 pounds thrust.  Unlike on the same engine on the Mirage 50, the Atar 8K-50 on the Super Etendard is not equipped with an afterburner. The Super Etendard also has a new wing, with a longer wingspan and more sweep.  The nose is also longer, to accommodate a radar set, in the case of the Argentine and early French Super Etendards an Agave radar set of the same sort as installed in some variants of the Mirage 5. Post-upgrade French Super Etendards are equipped with a Thomson-CSF Anemone radar set which has almost double the range of the Agave. The Super Etendard is equipped with a UAT-40 computerized targeting and navigation suite. The 1990s upgrades gave the Super Etendard an extensive attack and defensive suite and a new computer to manage these avionics. The upgrade also included a new cockpit with MFD screens and HOTAS controls for the stick and throttle. The French Super Etendards could also deliver tactical nuclear weapons; Argentine versions were not rated for such weapons. Early French Super Etendards could employ only unguided gravity nuclear bombs, but upgraded versions could carry the ASMP nuclear missile. As the Rafale was not equipped with a laser designator, upgraded French Super Etendards often designated targets for the Rafales as well as for each other. Like most naval aircraft, the wings of the Super Etendard fold, at about the midpoint of the wing. The Super Etendard has an ejection seat and is capable of aerial refueling; with the appropriate pods and drop tanks, it is also capable of buddy refueling.

     All Etendards could carry reconnaissance pods of various types, whether using photographic, radar, or ELINT-based pods.  They will not be further detailed here, as they are merely standard Super Etendards with a different stores fit.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: By the Twilight War, the design was a bit dated, but it was still used in large numbers by France and smaller numbers by Argentina.