Mirage IV
Sign in to saveAlso known as Mirage 4, Dassault-Breguet Mirage IV
attack aircraft family by Dassault
Key facts
- Type
- Supersonic strategic bomber
- National origin
- France
- Manufacturer
- Dassault Aviation
- Primary user
- French Air Force
- Number built
- 62 + 4 prototypes
- Manufactured
- 1963–1968
- Introduction date
- 1 October 1964
- First flight
- 17 June 1959
- Retired
- 1996 all bomber variants, 2005 all reconnaissance variants
- Developed from
- Dassault Mirage III
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Mirage IV DN-ST-87-02585.JPEG
- Length
- 23.5
Show 7 more facts
- first flight
- 1959-06-17
- total produced
- 66
- service entry
- 1964-10-01
- Commons gallery
- Dassault Mirage IV
- Commons category
- Dassault Mirage IV
- service retirement
- 1996-00-00
- wingspan
- 11.85
via Wikidata · CC0
~33 min read
Article
The Dassault Mirage IV is a supersonic strategic bomber and deep-reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
Development of the Mirage IV began in the mid-1950s in response to a need for a supersonic carrier aircraft for France's independent nuclear deterrent. Dassault competed with other aircraft manufacturers, such as Sud Aviation and Nord Aviation, to have its proposal built, which was viewed as being both cheaper and simpler to develop in part due to it drawing upon the earlier Dassault Mirage III fighter. While originally intended as a dedicated bomber, a reconnaissance variant would also be developed. The first prototype, Mirage IV 01, performed its maiden flight on 17 June 1959; it set a new world record for speed over a 1000-kilometre closed circuit of 1,822 km/h (1,132 mph) on 19 September 1960. The first production-standard aircraft was completed during December 1963 and the Mirage IV entered service with the French Air Force in October 1964.