Designed in the 1950s, the Mirage IV was France’s first nuclear aircraft, a pillar of deterrence and a symbol of French air power.
The historical context of the Mirage IV’s creation
In the late 1950s, France sought to build an independent deterrent force. France’s nuclear strategy was part of General de Gaulle’s desire not to depend on NATO to guarantee national security. In this context, Dassault was tasked with designing the first French nuclear aircraft capable of carrying an atomic bomb.
The project resulted in the Mirage IV program, directly derived from the Mirage III but greatly enlarged. The aircraft was designed to carry a bomb weighing over a ton, first the AN-11, then the AN-22. Its main mission was to penetrate at high altitude at very high speed in order to strike strategic targets in the Soviet Union.
The Mirage IV made its maiden flight on June 17, 1959. In 1964, it entered operational service with the French Air Force, becoming the main vehicle for France’s nuclear deterrent.
The development of nuclear bombers and French innovation
At that time, only the major powers had strategic nuclear bombers. The United States had the B-52 Stratofortress and the Convair B-58 Hustler, while the USSR deployed its Tu-95 Bear and Tu-22 Blinder. With the Mirage IV, France became the third nation to have a supersonic strategic bomber.
This project represented a considerable industrial effort. More than 60 Mirage IVs were built between 1963 and 1968. Their design was based on the delta wing characteristic of Dassault aircraft, offering both high speed and an aerodynamic structure suitable for high-altitude flight.
The development of nuclear bombers also required complex logistical support. The Mirage IVs needed in-flight refueling to reach their potential targets. To this end, France purchased 12 Boeing KC-135 refueling tankers, which were integrated into the Air Force fleet. This combination ensured the credibility of the air deterrence mission.
Technical characteristics of the Mirage IV
The Mirage IV was an imposing aircraft, 23.5 meters long, with a wingspan of 11.85 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of nearly 33 tons. Its Atar 9K engine provided enough thrust to reach Mach 2.2 at high altitude, or over 2,300 km/h.
The aircraft was designed to fly at over 15,000 meters to avoid most of the interceptors of the time. It could carry a payload of 3,000 kg, including the AN-11 bomb, weighing approximately 1,500 kg. This was replaced in the 1960s by the AN-22, which was more compact but more powerful, developing a charge equivalent to several hundred kilotons.
The aircraft had a range of approximately 1,200 km without refueling when carrying a nuclear payload, but this could be doubled with the help of the KC-135. This limited range highlighted the importance of support infrastructure.
The strategic role of the Mirage IV in nuclear deterrence
The Mirage IV embodies the air deterrence mission at the heart of French doctrine. Based at several metropolitan airfields, the squadrons were ready to take off at any moment in the event of a crisis. The mere existence of these aircraft was a strategic signal, as potential adversaries knew that France could retaliate against a major attack.
Each aircraft carried a single bomb, but its destructive power was sufficient to inflict losses deemed unacceptable to an enemy. This logic was based on the principle of “sufficiency”, a doctrine that defined French nuclear policy.
In the 1970s, the arrival of strategic ballistic missiles carried by Le Redoutable-class submarines reduced the central role of the Mirage IV. However, it remained a complementary tool until its gradual withdrawal.
The evolution of the Mirage IV to the Mirage IVP
From the 1980s onwards, the Mirage IV fleet evolved. Some aircraft were modified into Mirage IVPs to carry the ASMP (Air-Sol Moyenne Portée) nuclear missile. This 5.3-meter-long weapon, with a range of 300 km, allowed the bomber to launch its attack from a distance without penetrating deep into enemy defenses.
In addition, some of the aircraft were given a new mission: strategic reconnaissance. Equipped with photo and infrared sensors and transmission systems, they could monitor vast areas. It was in this role that the Mirage IVPs were deployed during the Gulf War in 1991, conducting reconnaissance flights over Iraq.
The place of the Mirage IV in the history of French fighter aircraft
Although it was a strategic bomber, the Mirage IV is inseparable from the history of French fighter aircraft. Part of the Mirage family, it illustrates Dassault’s ability to adapt an aerodynamic concept to meet a variety of needs.
It was also a technological showcase for French air power, demonstrating the country’s industrial autonomy in a field reserved for superpowers. The Mirage IV contributed to France’s international image as a major player in military aviation.
Gradual decline and withdrawal from service
In the 1990s, the modernization of French strategic forces led to the gradual withdrawal of the Mirage IV from its nuclear role. The ASMP missile was transferred to the Mirage 2000N and then to the Rafale, which were more modern and better suited to contemporary standards.
The last Mirage IVP squadron was disbanded in 2005. This withdrawal marked the end of more than 40 years of service, an exceptional figure for an aircraft of this category. A few examples are now preserved in aeronautical museums in France, bearing witness to an era when the aircraft was the cornerstone of nuclear strategy.
The strategic and technological legacy of the Mirage IV
The Mirage IV was not only a deterrent. It was a major milestone in the evolution of French nuclear deterrence. Its entry into service lent credibility to Paris’s policy of independence and paved the way for the transition to more modern systems, ballistic missiles and multi-role fighters.
It also remains an industrial symbol. The program enabled Dassault and its partners to develop expertise that benefited subsequent generations, right up to the Rafale. Finally, from a strategic point of view, it illustrates an era when manned aircraft were the main guarantor of nuclear retaliation, before being replaced by submarines.
A living memory of French air power
The Mirage IV remains engraved in the memory of French military aviation as the first French nuclear aircraft. A symbol of strategic independence and air power, it represents a founding milestone in the development of nuclear bombers.
Today, it attracts the interest of enthusiasts and military historians, who see it as an essential milestone in understanding the future of fighter aircraft and the evolution of strategic air doctrines. Its legacy fuels contemporary thinking on the role of aviation in deterrence and on the technological choices to be made in the future to maintain the credibility of national defense.
War Wings Daily is an independant magazine.