The plane that turned Israel into an air power

The Mirage V attack aircraft is the foundation that helped Israel build the world's leading military aviation industry today.

Israel's first Mirage V squadron.

Fifty years ago, on May 19, 1967, the Mirage V attack aircraft took its first flight from Melun-Villaroche airport in France. This event not only marked the birth of today's French military aviation industry but is also considered the founding day of the Israeli aircraft industry, according to War Is Boring.

The Mirage V was the result of French-Israeli cooperation in the 1950s and 1960s. At that time, the Israel Defense Forces/Air Force (IDF/AF) was looking for a modern, swept-wing jet fighter similar to the American F-86 Sabre, but their purchase proposal was rejected by Washington.

Israel was forced to turn to the French-made MD.450 Ouragan and MD.452 Mystère fighters. Their excellent combat performance in the 1956 Suez War sparked an arms race in the Middle East.

In early 1959, the IDF/AF set its sights on the Mirage project, a delta-wing interceptor capable of reaching speeds of twice the speed of sound. Israel ordered 24 Mirage IIICJs in May 1960. They were equipped with Cyrano I bis radars to support Matra R.530 air-to-air missiles, the first radar-guided weapons in the Middle East.

Deliveries of the Mirage IIICJ to Israel began in April 1962, by which time the order had been increased to 76 aircraft. However, the operation of the Mirage IIIJC in the Israeli Air Force was not smooth.

The SNECMA Atar 09B engines were unreliable and caused a series of accidents. The radar also had many problems, including not being able to synchronize with the two 30mm cannons. The R.530 missiles were difficult for pilots to operate, requiring thousands of technical modifications to make the Mirage IIICJ effective in combat.

Mirage aircraft played an important role in the Six-Day War. Photo: Pinterest.

Therefore, Israel decided to cooperate with France to developMirage V (later changed to Mirage 5),The Mirage variant is simpler, cheaper, easier to maintain and operate. MThis attack aircraft is capable of reaching speeds of 2,500 km/h, equipped with a minimalist electronic system. The fuselage is longer than the Mirage IIICJ version, helping to increase fuel reserves and the number of weapon hardpoints.

The Mirage V proved its effectiveness in the Six-Day War that broke out in June 1967. Israeli attack aircraft destroyed most of the aircraft of neighboring Arab air forces before they could take off, allowing Israeli ground troops to win on the battlefield.

However, after the Six-Day War, French President Charles de Gaulle imposed two arms embargoes on Israel, one of which was comprehensive. The delivery of 50 Mirage Vs built for the IDF/AF was cancelled altogether.

In early 1968, Dassault secretly signed a contract called "JC3" with Rockwell International to produce Mirage V aircraft in Israel as a way to circumvent the embargo. Rockwell International focused on manufacturing auto parts, but they decided to buy the famous North American aircraft manufacturer, then look for ways to expand abroad.

Rockwell's agreement with Dassault called for the delivery of 50 aircraft in kit form, many of which were to be manufactured by Dassault subcontractors such as Aerospatiale and Reims-Cessna. Dassault produced only the forward fuselage for 10 two-seat Mirage Vs in the early 1970s.

Mirage V attack aircraft in service with the Israeli Air Force. Photo: War is Boring.

The result of these efforts was the creation of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in 1968. Under a secret contract with Dassault, just three years later IAI produced the first of 51 Mirage V attack aircraft, all assembled from French-made parts, as confirmed by the letters engraved on the fuselage. However, IAI maintained that its fleet of Mirage Vs, nicknamed Nesher, were all "developed and manufactured in Israel".

From this foundation, IAI gradually rose to become one of the major forces in the world's military aviation industry, helping Israel become an air power in the region. The Israeli Air Force currently owns 684 military aircraft of all types, including modern American F-15 and F-16 fighters, and the future state-of-the-art F-35 stealth fighters.

According to VNE