In need for transport for their
Atomic Bomb, the French Air Force brought out
specifications in 1954 for a very fast long
distance bomber.
Dassault was leading a consortium
that (at first) was monitoring the development
of the Sud-Ouest S.O. 4050 Vautour, but their
interest was focused in 1956 on the
possibilities of re-developing earlier studies
of Dassault for a two-engine night fighter.
These studies led to the design
of the Mirage IV, in fact an enlarged Mirage III
with two engines and possibilities to transport
a 60 kiloton AN22 Glider bomb.
The prototype flew for the first
time in June 1959 thanks to the propulsion of
two SNECMA Atar 9 turbojets (59,53 kN). It
proved that it could keep up speeds of Mach 2 at
high altitude.
Three pre-production aircraft
were build with over the whole slightly lager
measurements and two Atar 9C turbojets (63,50
kN). The first of those three flew in October
1961 and represented the Mirage IV A production
model with a round radar dome under de fuselage
for the antenna of the bomb-aiming radar.
The last of the three
pre-production models was fitted with Atar 9K
engines, the possibility of midair refueling and
the latest navigation- and attack-systems.
The Mirage IV A production
counted a total of 62 aircraft, twelve of those
were later converted to Mirage IV R strategic
reconnaissance-aircraft with the CT52 'Mission
package' in the former bomb-bay. In the middle
of the eighties another 18 Mirage IV's were
upgraded to Mirage IV P 'Missile Carriers' They
got new navigation and attack systems and
improved electronic defense systems. The Mirage
IV P is designed for penetrating enemy airspace
on low altitudes as Launchers of the ASMP
missiles with nuclear warheads.
