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Mirage IIIS
Introduce
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The Mirage IIIS is an improved variant suitable for the Swiss Army based on the Mirage IIIE. The Mirage IIIS later received the C.70 upgrade, and the variant that received the C.70 upgrade will be discussed in another suggestion later.
History
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Switzerland has strengthened its air force by introducing D.H.112, Hawker Hunter, etc., but the limitations of subsonic aircraft were clear, and the project to introduce supersonic aircraft soon began. Saab 35, G.91, F-104, Mirage IIIC, and F-11F-1F participated in this project, of which the Mirage was ultimately selected. However, the Swiss military deliberately ignored the additional costs to account for inflation and understated the amount of money it would spend on spare parts. This decision will soon have major political repercussions. Switzerland was deciding which radar to mount on its new fighter: TARAN-18, Cyrano II, or AIRPASS, but Dassault warned that integrating TARAN-18 into the Mirage IIIC would incur significant additional costs. However, this warning was ultimately ignored, and the radar to be mounted on the new fighter was decided to be TARAN-18. However, the TARAN-18 did not fit the Mirage IIIC’s radome, and the Mirage IIIE, which had a larger radome, had to be adopted.
The Swiss military wants to acquire 100 Mirage IIISs and has asked Congress to grant additional funds to convert the Mirage IIIC to the Mirage IIIE. However, the Congress flatly rejected it, and in the end only 57 units were introduced, down from the existing 100 units. This incident was later called the Mirage Scandal.
The Mirage IIIS used little French armament. It used the AIM-9, designated Flz Lwf LL 63, as a short-range air-to-air missile, and the Flz Lwf LL 64 (HM-55S) and Flz Lwf LL 64/79 (AIM-26B) as medium-range air-to-air missiles. And for air-to-ground armament, it used SNORA rockets, Swiss-made unguided bombs, and French-made Flz Lwf LB 66 (AS.30) air-to-ground missiles.
The Mirage IIIS received the C.70 upgrade starting in 1988, installing equipment such as canards and RWRs. You can read stories about ‘C.70 Upgrade’ Here (Mirage IIIS C.70 Suggestion)
Technical Data
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Specification
Length: 15.27m
Width: 8.22m
Height: 4.5m
AUW: 6.7t
MTOW: 12t
Engine: Atar 09C-3 (4,300kgf ~ 6,000kgf)
Radar: Taran-18 Radar System
Countermeasures: N/AArmaments
Offensive Armament
ㅤ2 × Flz Kan 65 (DEFA 552A)Suspended Armament
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 63
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 63/75
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 63/80
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 63/90
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 63/91
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 64
ㅤ2 × Flz Lwf LL 64/79
ㅤFlz Lwf LB 66
ㅤ24 × SNORA Rocket
ㅤ2 × 450kg Panzerbombe
ㅤ2 × 450kg SprengbombeOthers
ㅤ2× 500L Drop Tank
ㅤ730L Drop Tank
ㅤ1,100L Drop Tank
ㅤRATO System
ㅤSEPR 841
Picture
Source
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- Ausgemusterte Mittel der Schweizer Luftwaffe
Flugzeuge, Helikopter, Flab - Hugo Freudiger (04.06.2022)- Geschichte der Schweizer Luftwaffe - Hugo Freudiger (18.04.2016)
- Militärische Kennungen der Luftfahrzeuge