60 years since the first flight of the Mirage III E

On April 5, 1961, the Mirage III E made its first flight at Istres, piloted by Jean Coureau.

Designed for low-altitude air strikes, its fuselage was lengthened by 30 cm to accommodate the relevant electronic systems (navigation center, Doppler radar), and was also equipped with a more powerful jet engine, the Atar 9C. The aircraft made its maiden flight at Istres on April 5, 1961, piloted by Jean Coureau.

The French version was later fitted with AN 52 tactical nuclear warhead. The Mirage III D was the export version of the Mirage III E.

More information on the Mirage III can be found on its datasheet.