[History] Dassault Mirage 5BA

The Mirage 5BA aircraft were procured by Belgium in the late 1960s to replace the outdated (R)F-84Fs, which were serving primarily as fighter-bombers in the Belgian Air Force. The Mirage was selected from a range of options, including the F-5A, A-4E, and Draken. Belgium became the largest user of the Mirage 5 in history, with over 100 of the type in its inventory.

The Belgian version of the Mirage 5 has even less electronics than the initial Mirage 5: only the Doppler radar, the radar altimeter, and, in the single-seat version, an American navigation system that proved to be very inaccurate throughout the entire operational life of the Belgian Mirage 5 were installed, only fixed later with the MirSIP (Belgian Mirage Safety Improvement Program).

As for armament, the aircraft was equipped with the same two DEFA 552 30 mm cannons as on the Mirage 5F, with two sets of 125 rounds. As for uniquely Belgian ordnance, it could carry two different types of bombs on the central hardpoint, and on the outer hardpoints, either two 70 mm “multi-purpose” rocket launchers, two Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or one rocket launcher and one Sidewinder. Later, several improvements would be made, such as a lateral shooting correction system, the installation of a built-in electronic countermeasure system (RAPPORT 2), and a better ejection seat, the Martin Baker Mk.10 (nul-nul).

Other types of armament were nearly identical to the French model. Belgium also operated RPK tanks, which function as bomb adaptors. The following air-to-ground weapon types have been visually confirmed as mounted on the aircraft: LAU-32B/A 6-shot rocket pods, Mk82 Snakeye bombs, BL755 cluster bombs, 250kg SAMP bombs, and 400kg SAMP bombs.

Visually, the Belgian Mirage 5s bore only slight differences from the original model, with a modified nose that omitted the Aida radar but included Doppler navigational radar.

Procurement

The Mirage was chosen (mostly) for its cost, but also for the willingness to allow licence production by SABCA in Belgium. The first of the 106 ordered aircraft, the BD 01, landed in Florennes on June 29, 1970. Each of the three series heads—BA 01 (attack single-seater), BD 01 (training two-seater), and BR 01 (reconnaissance single-seater)—were fully built at the Marcel Dassault factory in Melun-Villaroche. These aircraft underwent the inevitable acceptance and certification tests. All other aircraft were assembled at the SABCA factory in Gosselies (Charleroi). The local test pilot, Serge Martin, a former air force member, then performed the three necessary certification flights for each aircraft before it was handed over to the flight test service inspectors—Service des Essais en Vol (SEV)—and accepted.

Action

Falklands war

In early May 1982, a discreet exercise took place involving four Mirages (one two-seater and three single-seaters) from the 3rd Wing in Bierset, which were flown to RAF Gütersloh in West Germany. The goal was to conduct a brief but intense period of dissimilar air combat training (DACT) with British Harriers, in preparation for their deployment to the Falklands.

The exercise was short and focused. Several Harrier pilots flew in the back seat of a Mirage, while all Belgian pilots participating flew in a two-seat Harrier. Initially, missions were conducted in a 1v1 format, followed by 2v2 engagements. For the return flight to Bierset, the Harriers set up a combat air patrol (CAP) pattern, attempting to intercept the Mirages.

During the missions, the Harriers had full radar support, simulating what they would receive from their ships in the Falklands, while the Mirages only had radar coverage for safety purposes.

Gulf war

Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, a war in the Gulf seemed imminent, prompting NATO to activate part of the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force, specifically the ACE Mobile Forces South. As a result, the Belgian Air Force’s 8th Squadron was ordered to deploy 18 Mirage 5s to Diyarbakır Air Base in southeastern Turkey under the operation code-named ACE Guard.

The integration with NATO partners and the Desert Shield/Storm coalition proceeded smoothly. Cooperation with allied surveillance systems, including AWACS and land-based control and reporting centers, as well as with air base defenses (such as Patriot missiles and F-16s), was established quickly and efficiently. The Mirages conducted combat air patrols to help protect Turkey from potential attacks by Iraqi forces. In total, the 8th squadron accumulated a total of 889 flight hours.

In total, around 500 personnel were involved in the ACE Guard deployment. Pilots, technicians, and support staff all demonstrated high motivation and professionalism. The mission saw the successful completion of 790 operational sorties, with the Mirage fleet maintaining a serviceability rate of over 90%.

The MirSIP Program

In the early 1980s, the MirSIP (Mirage Safety Improvement Program) was launched, a modernization initiative. Months of study and development time were required for this project.

It involved a series of structural modifications aimed at reducing the aircraft’s takeoff run and enhancing its maneuverability at various angles of attack, including the addition of canards (fixed winglets), flaps, and reinforced wing ribs. It also featured new wiring, along with updated navigation and communication systems such as UHF, VHF, IFF, and TACAN.

Other upgrades included a liquid oxygen system, a pressurized fuel loading system for single-point refueling, and enhanced mission equipment, including a CDU, a larger HUD from Ferranti, HDD, Sagem MAESTRO, INS, NAV/Attack system, HOTAS, FLIR, laser designator, ECR and an anti-collision light (this is a warning light that would light up if there is nearby air traffic, these are not the warning lights on the outside of the aircraft).

The cockpit was redesigned to integrate two MFDs and a new Martin-Baker Mk.10 ejection seat, among other improvements. At the core of the aircraft’s navigation and attack capabilities were the SAGEM UTR-90 processing system, the SAGEM ULISS 92 inertial navigation system (INS), and a Thomson-CSF TMV630 laser rangefinder.

The geopolitical changes following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 had a significant impact on military budgets. Belgium reduced the number of fighter squadrons to six, and by 1993, the Mirage 5BA was permanently retired from the Belgian Air Force inventory, when they were replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

MirSIP in Chile

However, the MirSIP project had some success in 1994. Chile purchased 25 Mirage 5 aircraft from Belgium, including 15 MirSIP Mirage 5MAs, 5 MirSIP Mirage 5MDs with dual controls, 4 non-modernized Mirage 5BRs, and 1 Mirage 5BD. The M-5MA aircraft were registered from 701 to 715, the M-5MDs from 716 to 720, the 5BRs from 721 to 724, and the 5BD was assigned the number 725. Upon acquisition, Chile renamed the single-seat versions “Mirage M-5MA Elkan” (meaning “Guardian” in Mapudungun).

Starting in 1995, the fleet was equipped with the Griffin laser-guided bomb (LGB) delivery system from Israeli manufacturer IAI. This upgrade allowed for the use of Mk.82, Mk.83, and Mk.84 bombs, significantly improving the accuracy of Aviation Group No. 8 pilots, achieving a circular error probable (CEP) of 8 meters. By 1996, the aircraft were publicly displayed in Chile carrying the Griffin LGBs, DEFA 552 cannons, and AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles. In 2006, the Mirage 5 fleet was decommissioned and replaced by F-16s. The aircraft are now stored at El Bosque Air Base and can also be seen at the Chilean Aeronautical Museum.

Belgian Mirages that are left

Several Belgian Mirages are still in existence, with one notable owner being Commandant Marcel De Petter (now retired). He flew the Mirage 5 for nearly 18 years. He owns the nose and cockpit of another Belgian Mirage, BA 27. Measuring 26 feet (8 meters) long and weighing two ton. This cockpit has now been fully restored, ensuring that everything from the night lighting to the gunsight functioned perfectly. And he owns a two-seater Mirage 5, BD 09, located at La Teste de Buch, near Arcachon in France. This aircraft had originally arrived in Belgium in March 1971, but it was decommissioned in 1994 and put into storage.

Museum pieces and Guardians

Most Mirage 5BAs and its variants that are left now serve as gate guardians to museums and air bases in Europe and Chile. In the Gallery below are some examples: