Mirage III / V of Pakistan Air Force

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

At Karachi Airport

At Karachi Airport

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

Alan Warnes

@warnesyworld
·
Let's brighten things up with a Pakistan Air Force Mirage image. This ex-Libyan Air Force 5DD taxies out from sun sheds, in April 2019 for an eight-ship sortie. Was lucky enough to fly in this beast for a photo sortie with Sqn Ldr Sajjad during Feb 2011. Happy days! #AvGeek...

 

[ghazi52]

A Dassault Mirage IIIRP, with Reconnaissance Cameras in the nose.

© Zohaib Malik.....

 

[ghazi52]

 

[Basel]

During the seventies a number of Mirage 5 aircraft was ordered. The first order was for 28 Mirage 5PAs, delivered in 1970.

In 1979 another order followed, comprising 18 Mirage 5PA2 and 18 Mirage 5PA3 aircraft. The 5PA2 is equipped with Thomson-CSF Cyrano radar, while the 5PA3 is blessed with the Thomson-CSF Agava radar. This 79-436 is a Mirage 5PA2.

View attachment 804762


Mirage-VPA3

View attachment 804611



Mirage V

View attachment 804612



Mirage VEF


View attachment 804613

Why PAF never went for Mirage F-1s during 70s and 80s??

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Why PAF never went for Mirage F-1s during 70s and 80s??

In the 1970s, cost. The PAF liked the Mirage F-1 and Mirage 50, but it wasn't affordable enough to support a workhorse requirement. In the 1970s, the Mirage III/5 were basically the PAF's top-tier fighters. They maxed out at around 96 new-built aircraft.

It's worth remembering that the PAF originally ordered the Mirage III when Pakistan was a 2nd world country. We had both West Pakistan and East Pakistan. We had an economy that wasn't skewered by PPP nationalization nonsense. In other words, our defense budget was much, much more pre-1971.

Just to put it into perspective: in 1966-1970, we ordered 26 Mirage IIIs, 28 Mirage 5PAs, 60 (?) F-6s, and 3 Daphne SSKs. We were also talking with the Soviets about the MiG-21 and to Sweden for the Saab 105 (with production license). We literally ordered more than 50% of our new-build Mirages pre-1971. @JamD @kursed If not for 1971 and the PPP, the PAF would've probably had Mirage F-1s. Heck, Pakistan might have been building them in Sindh while launching ships and subs from Bengal.

In the 1980s, the PAF considered the Mirage F-1 as a possible successor to the F-6. In response to the Sabre II program, Dassault offered to transfer the Mirage F-1 manufacturing line to Pakistan plus a large stockpile of Atar09K-50 engines. However, the PAF dropped Sabre II and decided to focus on buying F-16s as the workhorse fighter. In the 1980s the F-16 was coming at a markedly affordable pricepoint. With Peace Gate III/IV the PAF would've had 110 F-16A/Bs, and then ACM Qureishi said in the 1990s we had an option for another 50. So by 2000, the PAF was probably aiming for 150 F-16s plus the 96 Mirage III/5 (ROSE-ed probably).

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]