Even as the Mirage IIIC interceptor mount was becoming entrenched in French air service, Dassault promoted a long-range, all-weather air defense/strike fighter (multirole) variant of the design as the "Mirage IIIE". The prototype first flew on April 1st, 1961 and included a lengthened fuselage with increased avionics and fuel, a Marconi navigation radar, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Cyrano II series air-ground radar. The Mirage IIIE was outfitted with the SNECMA Atar 09C series afterburning turbojet engine and a total of three prototypes furthered the endeavor prior to production. After adoption by the French Air Force, the IIIE was also licensed-produced in the countries of Australia, Belgium and Switzerland while fielded by the forces of Argentina, Brazil, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela under various export designations. To the Mirage IIIE model was added the requisite Mirage IIID two-seat trainer form which was also purchased by Pakistan, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland and Venezuela. French Air Force Mirage IIIE models were cleared for nuclear ordnance.
As with other interceptor aircraft of the period, a dedicated reconnaissance-minded form soon emerged as the "Mirage IIIR". This variant offered the ground attack frames of the Mirage IIIE models with the avionics suite of the Mirage IIIC interceptor. They lacked radar under the nose cone and housed multiple cameras for photo-reconnaissance sorties instead. The Mirage IIIR was then improved through the "Mirage IIIRD" initiative. Reconnaissance types were adopted outside of France by the forces of Israel, Pakistan, South Africa and Switzerland.
The Mirage 5 was a related Mirage IIIE series offshoot and developed by Dassault to fulfill a clear-weather/ground attack requirement for Israel. The prototype went airborne on May 19th, 1967 with its lengthened nose cone (housing a simplified radar installation) as a single-seat, all-weather dedicated strike platform. Ultimately, 582 of the type were produced and examples fielded by France, Belgium, Egypt, Pakistan and several others. Due to French politics blocking the Mirage 5 to Israel, Israeli Mirage IIIs were evolved in-house into the excellent "Kfir". In French Air Force service, the Mirage 5 was the Mirage 5F. Belgian Mirage 5s were locally-produced and many Mirage 5 customers eventually saw modernized avionics introduced.
The Mirage 50 became a multi-role variant outfitted with the SNECMA Atar 9K-50 engine while reconstituting the Mirage 5 airframe. A prototype went airborne in 1979 and proved the design sound. Key to the model was its integration of a Head-Up Display (HUD), advanced radar system and improved flight dynamics (such as use of canards). The series was offered in a modernized form through the Mirage 50M designation.
The Mirage IIIV was another Mirage III form developed as a heavily revised variant to serve as a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) fighter for NATO. However, the type was never adopted into NATO service and two manufactured, the first flying in February of 1965.
Current Mirage III operators include Argentina and Pakistan. Countries such as France, Australia, Egypt and Venezuela have since given up the Mirage III in favor of more modern alternatives or due to forced budget cuts. South Africa developed the French design into the Atlas Denel "Cheetah". Belgian Mirage IIIs were known as SABCA "Elkan".
One of the primary reasons for the global success of the Mirage III line was its use by Israeli forces during the 1967 Six Day War where it became a certified combat platform. Israeli success against enemy MiGs was much-publicized and solidified the type's standing on the global market, driving sales for Dassault in turn. While the type's delta-wing configuration made her slow in turning, the fighter excelled in other key areas that made them priceless commodities in the Israeli Air Force inventory of the period.
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