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The Mirage III family grew out of French government studies begun in 1952 that led in early 1953 to a specification for a lightweight, all-weather interceptor capable of climbing to 18,000 m (59,040 ft) in six minutes and able to reach Mach 1.3 in level flight.

Dassault's response to the specification was the Mystere-Delta 550, a sporty-looking little jet that was to be powered by twin Armstrong Siddeley MD30R Viper afterburning turbojets, each with thrust of 9.61 kN (2,160 lbf). A SEPR liquid-fuel rocket motor was to provide additional burst thrust of 14.7 kN (3,300 lbf). The aircraft had a tailless delta configuration, with a 5% chord (ratio of airfoil thickness to length) and 60 degree sweep.

The tailless delta configuration has a number of limitations. The lack of a horizontal stabilizer means flaps cannot be used, resulting in a long take-off run and a high landing speed. The delta wing itself limits maneuverability; and suffers from buffeting at low altitude, due to the large wing area and resulting low wing loading. However, the delta is a simple and pleasing design, easily built and robust, capable of high speed in a straight line, and with plenty of space in the wing for fuel storage.

The first prototype of the Mystere-Delta, without afterburning engine or rocket motor and an absurdly large vertical tailfin, flew on 25 June 1955. After some redesign, reduction of the tailfin to more rational size, installation of afterburners and rocket motor, and renaming to Mirage I, the prototype attained Mach 1.3 in level flight without the rocket, and Mach 1.6 with the rocket lit in late 1955.

However, the small size of the Mirage I restricted its armament to a single air-to-air missile, and even before this time it had been prudently decided the aircraft was simply too tiny to carry a useful warload. After trials, the Mirage I prototype was eventually scrapped.

Dassault then considered a somewhat bigger version, the Mirage II, with a pair of Turbomeca Gabizo turbojets, but no aircraft of this configuration was ever built. The Mirage II was bypassed for a much more ambitious design that was 30% heavier than the Mirage I and was powered by the new SNECMA Atar afterburning turbojet with thrust of 43.2 kN (9,700 lbf). The Atar was an axial flow turbojet, derived from the German World War II BMW 003 design.

The new fighter design was named the Mirage III. It incorporated the new area ruling concept, where changes to the cross section of an aircraft were made as gradual as possible, resulting in the famous "wasp waist" configuration of many supersonic fighters. Like the Mirage I, the Mirage III had provision for a SEPR rocket engine.

The prototype Mirage III flew on 17 November 1956, and attained a speed of Mach 1.52 on its seventh flight. The prototype was then fitted with the SEPR rocket engine and with manually-operated intake half-cone shock diffusers, known as souris ("mice"), which were moved forward as speed increased to reduce inlet turbulence. The Mirage III attained a speed of Mach 1.8 in September 1957.

The success of the Mirage III prototype resulted in an order for 10 preproduction Mirage IIIAs. These were almost two meters longer than the Mirage III prototype, had a wing with 17.3% more area, a chord reduced to 4.5%, and an Atar 09B turbojet with afterburning thrust of 58.9 kN (13,230 lbf). The SEPR rocket engine was retained, and the aircraft were fitted with Thomson-CSF Cyrano Ibis air intercept radar, operational avionics, and a drag chute to shorten landing roll.

The first Mirage IIIA flew in May 1958, and eventually was clocked at Mach 2.2, making it the first European aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight. The tenth IIIA was rolled out in December 1959. One was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Avon 67 engine with thrust of 71.1 kN (16,000 lbf) as a test model for Australian evaluation, with the name "Mirage IIIO". This variant flew in February 1961, but the Avon powerplant was not adopted.

General characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Length: 15 m (49 ft 3.5 in)
* Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11 in)
* Height: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
* Wing area: 34.85 m² (375 ft²)
* Empty weight: 7,050 kg (15,600 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 13,500 kg (29,700 lb)
* Powerplant: 1× SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet

Performance

* Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,350 km/h, 1,460 mph)
* Range: 2,400 km (1,300 NM, 1,500 mi)
* Service ceiling: 17,000 m (56,000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 83.3 m/s (16,400 ft/min)
* Wing loading: 387 kg/m² (79 lb/ft²)

Armament

* Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons with 125 rounds per gun
* Rockets: 2× Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack, each with 19× SNEB 68 mm rockets and 66 US gallons (250 liters) of fuel
* Missiles: 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders OR Matra R550 Magics plus 1× Matra R530, 2× AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles
* Bombs: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints, including a variety of bombs, reconnaissance pods or Drop tanks; French Air Force IIIEs through 1991, equipped for AN-52 nuclear bomb)

Variants:

Mirage III-001
Prototype, powered by a 4490-kg (9,900-lb) thrust Atar 101G2 turbojet engine, also fitted with a SEPR auxiliary rocket motor; one built.
Mirage IIIA
Pre-production aircraft, powered by a 6.000 kg (13,228 lb) thrust Atar 9B turbojet engine, also fitted with an auxiliary rocket motor; ten built for the Frence Air Force.

Mirage IIIB
Two-seat tandem trainer aircraft, fitted with one piece canopy, also fitted with radio beacon equipment, lacks radar; 59 built for the French Air Force.

* Mirage IIIB-1 : Trials aircraft.
* Mirage IIIB-2(RV) : Inflight refuelling training aircraft.
* Mirage IIIBE : Two-seat training aircraft for the French Air Force, similar to the Mirage IIID; 20 built.
* Mirage IIIBJ : Export version of the Mirage IIIB for Israeli Air Force; five built.
* Mirage IIIBL : Export version of the Mirage IIIB for Lebanese Air Force.
* Mirage IIIBS : Export version of the Mirage IIIB for the Swiss Air Force; four built.
* Mirage IIIBZ : Export version of the Mirage IIIB for the South African Air Force; three built.

Mirage IIIC
Single-seat all-weather interceptor-fighter aircraft, equipped with a Cyrano I radar, powered by a 6000-kg (13,228-lb) thrust Atar 9B-3 turbojet engine, fitted with an auxiliary rocket motor in the rear fuselage, armed with two 30-mm cannons, plus one Matra R530 and two AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles; 95 built for the French Air Force.

* Mirage IIIC-2 : One aircraft fitted with an Atar 9K-6 turbojet engine.
* Mirage IIICJ : Export version of the Mirage IIIC for the Israeli Air Force; 72 built.
* Mirage IIICS : One evaluation and test aircraft for the Swiss Air Force; one built.
* Mirage IIICZ : Export version of the Mirage IIIC for the South African Air Force; 16 built.

Mirage IIID
Two-seat trainer version of the Mirage IIIE.

* Mirage IIID : Two-seat training aircraft for the RAAF. Built under licence in Australia; 16 built.
* Mirage IIIDA : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Argentine Air Force; four built.
* Mirage IIIDBR : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Brazilian Air Force; four built.
* Mirage IIIDRR-2 : Refurbished and updated aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. Two ex-french aircraft sold to brazil in 1988.
* Mirage IIIDE : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Spanish Air Force; six built.
* Mirage IIIDL : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Lebanese Air Force; two bult.
* Mirage IIIDP : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Pakistan Air Force; five built.
* Mirage IIIDS : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Swiss Air Force; two built.
* Mirage IIIDV : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the Venezuelan Air Force; three built.
* Mirage IIIDZ : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the South African Air Force; three built.
* Mirage IIID2Z : Export version of the Mirage IIID for the South African Air Force, fitted with an Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine; 11 built.

Mirage IIIE
Single-seat all-weather fighter-bomber, strike aircraft, powered by an 60.80kN (13,668-lb) thrust Atar 9C-3 turbojet engine, fitted with a Cyrano II radar and a avionics bay behind the cockpit, equipped with a Doppler radar and a TACAN navigation system. 183 built for the French Air Force.

* Mirage IIIEA : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Argentine Air Force; 17 built.
* Mirage IIIEBR : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Brazilian Air Force; 16 built.
* Mirage IIIEBR-2 : Refurbished and updated aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. Four ex-French aircraft sold to brazil in 1988.
* Mirage IIIEE : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Spanish Air Force; 24 built.
* Mirage IIIEL : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Lebanese Air Force; ten built.
* Mirage IIIEP : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Pakistan Air Force; 18 built.
* Mirage IIIEV : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the Venezuelan Air Force; seven built.
* Mirage IIIEZ : Export version of the Mirage IIIE for the South African Air Force; 17 built.

Mirage IIIO
Single-seat all-weather fighter-bomber aircraft foor the RAAF. Built under licence in Australia; 100 built.
Mirage IIIR
Single-seat all-weather reconnaissance aircraft, fitted with five cameras and an infra-red package. 50 built for the French Air Force.

* Mirage IIIRD : Single-seat all-weather reconnaissance aircraft for the French Air Force, equipped with a Doppler navigation radar; 20 built.
* Mirage IIIRJ : Single-seat all-weather econniassance aircraft of the Israeli Air Force. Two Mirage IIICZs converted into reconnaissance aircraft.
* Mirage IIIRP : Export version of the Mirage IIIR for the Pakistan Air Force; 13 built.
* Mirage IIIRS : Exporrt version of the Mirage IIIR for the Swiss Air Force; 18 built.
* Mirage IIIRZ : Export version of the Mirage IIIR for the South African Air Force; four built.
* Mirage IIIR2Z : Export version of the Mirage IIIR for the South African Air Force, fitted with an Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine; four built.

Mirage IIIS
Single-seat all-weather interceptor fighter aircraft for the Swiss Air Force, fitted with a Hughes TARAN 18 radar and fire-control system, armed with AIM-4 Falcon and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Built under licence in Switzerland; 36 built.
Mirage IIIT
One aircraft converted into an engine testbed, it was fitted with a 9000-kg (19,482-lb) SNECMA TF-106 turbofan engine.
Mirage IIIX
Proposed version, announced in 1982, fitted with updated avionics and fly-by-wire controls, powered by an Atar 9K-50 turbojet engine. Original designation of the Mirage 3NG.