Mirage-III/5

The Egyptian pilots were introduced to Mirage-III/5 fighters in the beginning of the seventies when about 20 Egyptian pilots traveled to Libya to fly its Mirage fighters as part of Libyan support program in which Libya offered its fighters to help the EAF in its war with Israel. Egyptian pilots flew Libyan Mirage fighters during the war and they were pleased for its high performance. Some reports say that the first order placed by Egypt for Mirage fighters were in 1972 and that the deal was funded by some Arab countries but it is for sure that the major order for Mirage-5 fighters was 1975 and the order was funded by some Saudi Arabia. The Mirage-5 was the first western fighter ordered by Egypt since the Vampire and Meteor in 1950. Egypt went in a large Mirage-5 purchasing program in which she purchased more than 54 Mirage-5SDE, 16 Mirage-5SDDS, 6 Mirage-5SDDR and 16 Mirage-5SDDE2 which is an Egyptian sub variant equipped with the navigation/attack systems of Alpha Jet MS2. Egyptian fighters were modified by advanced electronics and ECM systems. Egypt used these fighters in multi-role missions including air defense using guns and RR-550 Magic II missiles and ground attack using bombes and rockets as well as reconnaissance. Egyptian Mirage-5 squadrons are based at Tanta, Genklis and Marsa-Matroh AFBs and they are expected to fly at lest till 2015.

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