In the 1950s, Dassault Aviation developed a successful family of fighter aircraft called Mirage. In the 1960s, the company took it to the next level and introduced the Mirage F1, a fighter and attack aircraft with a swept wing design.
It became an instant success in the global market, resulting in the production of over 700 fighters. Despite becoming the preferred aircraft of the French Air Force, it also became the workhorse of Spain, Greece, South Africa, Iraq, Libya, and even Ecuador.
The Dassault Corporation designed the export Mirage F1 E which could fulfill all the missions of the F1 C but was equipped with avionics for more precise air-to-ground missions and longer firing distances.
The excellent performance and capabilities of the F1 were proven during its combat career, participating in French operations in Chad and Mali, the 1990 Gulf War, Afghanistan, the Paquisha War between Ecuador and Peru, and even the Iran-Iraq War, alongside other world conflicts.
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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.