Farewell to French Mirage F1

[Indus Falcon]

how??

We were already flying the MirageIII, when the Mirage F1 showed up. For us to induct another french aircraft, with slightly better performance (debatable) did not make sense. I believe we inducted the mirages in the late 60's and have since become experts in it.

Not forgetting the fact that the F1's combat radius & ferry range, both, are less than the Mirage3

 

[random123]

Although NATO had a great chance for IRAQ to buy from all over the world the Mirage F1s along with Free of cost upgrade program which might be 150+ of them that will be helpful in making their Air Force good ones.

 

[Basel]

We were already flying the MirageIII, when the Mirage F1 showed up. For us to induct another french aircraft, with slightly better performance (debatable) did not make sense. I believe we inducted the mirages in the late 60's and have since become experts in it.

But F-1s could have been much better if we had them and upgraded them with ROSE upgrade instead of IIIs.

 

[Indus Falcon]

But F-1s could have been much better if we had them and upgraded them with ROSE upgrade instead of IIIs.

If I'm not mistaken, the combat radius of the Mirage3 is 3 times that of the F1. Given the fact that we didn't have in flight refueling at that time, you can understand why we stuck to the M3.

 

[Basel]

If I'm not mistaken, the combat radius of the Mirage3 is 3 times that of the F1. Given the fact that we didn't have in flight refueling at that time, you can understand why we stuck to the M3.

If that is the case then it was good decision to go for M3s, but still we could have get them because they could have been better then F-7s.

 

[Indus Falcon]

The F7 is a good fighter in it's own way. Nonetheless, one can't really compare it to the F1. Unfortunately finance has always been PAF's Achilles heel.

 

[Luftwaffe]

F16 package was more attractive in the end

Farewell!

A marvelous Aircraft PAF wasted time looking into M-2000 and ditched them 3 times knowing it could not be purchased.
The F-1CE/CG production were only 7-8 years old when French started to induct new Mirage 2000 1982-83, had PAF opt for F-1s we would have gotten a big Numbers in 90s.

Abu...The F7 is a good fighter in it's own way. Nonetheless, one can't really compare it to the F1. Unfortunately finance has always been PAF's Achilles heel.

No problem with finances at the time a huge order or F-7 one could have ordered more superior F-1s in Numbers look at the actual quality not quantity. Although we are talking past and it indeed is called "lost decades with S" that is 80's-and 90s.

 

[Zarvan]

The end of the Dassault Mirage F1 is nigh, but fortunately the French Air Force doesn’t believe in quick farewells.

The distinctive single-engine fighter was an export success for Dassault Aviation, the company’s engineers and designers breaking away from their traditional delta wing design in order to deliver a low-cost Mach 2 capable fighter with low landing speeds and the ability to use rudimentary runways, something simply not possible in the Mirage IIIs in service at the time.

Since the maiden flight of the first prototype back in 1966, more than 700 Mirage F1s have been produced with more than 470 exported across the world to Africa, the Middle East and Latin America as well as in Europe. Today however, the Mirage F1 is a dying breed. Budget cuts in Spain forced the air force there to retire the type earlier than planned in June last year leaving just France, Morocco, Libya and Iran as the last bastions of the aircraft.

On April 10, the French Air Force allowed a few hundred Mirage F1 fans onto hallowed ground at Mont-de-Marsan AB, Aquitaine -- the last French Mirage F1 base -- to see the remaining handful in service with the ER2/33 “Savoie” squadron taking part in Recce Meet 2014.

The exercise, run from April 7-11, tests the tactical reconnaissance skills of French and other European countries, and dates back to the late 1950s. But the 2014 edition represents the last in which the Mirage F1 will take part.

The French Air Force has around 20 active Mirage F1s left, made up of four F-1B two-seaters and around 16 Mirage F1CRs equipped to carry the Thales ASTAC reconnaissance pod, as well as being fitted with cameras in the nose.

The type isn’t going quietly. Last year it was deployed to support the Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania and was also involved during Operation Serval, the French-led operation against extremists in Mali.

The Long Goodbye | Ares
But time is now running out, with the squadron planning their final farewells during an airshow at Mont-de-Marsan in June followed by the appearance of four Mirage F1s in the Bastille Day flypast over Paris on July 14. Its understood that the last few active aircraft will be retired shortly after, a fine way of celebrating one of France’s most successful fighters.

Morocco upgraded some of these Mirages to Mirages 2000 and has retired some