New images added Hobby Master HA9855 Mirage IIIO A3-16, 75th Sqn, RAAF, Sept 1965
No. 75 Squadron became the Royal Australian Air Force’s first operational Mirage unit when it officially converted to the Government Aircraft Factories-built Dassault Mirage IIIO(F) on August 1, 1965, at RAAF Base Williamtown, New South Wales. Equipped with the air-defense variant featuring the Cyrano IIA radar, the squadron replaced its CAC Sabres with the supersonic Mirage, dramatically enhancing Australia’s interceptor capability. In 1965, the aircraft wore a natural metal finish with high-visibility national markings and squadron insignia before later camouflage schemes were introduced. The Mirage IIIO(F) gave No. 75 Squadron the ability to intercept high-speed targets at Mach 2 while armed with two 30 mm DEFA cannons and AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles. The squadron later deployed to RAAF Butterworth, Malaysia, in 1967 as part of Australia’s forward defence commitment in Southeast Asia.
Dassault Mirage IIIO
Designed to meet a French government specification for a lightweight, all-weather interceptor, the Dassault Mirage III was first flown on November 17, 1956. This supersonic aircraft has a tailless delta wing configuration and is capable of high speeds (a Mirage IIIA was the first European aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight). It has a provision for a SEPR liquid-fuel rocket engine, which provides additional burst thrust. In production for over a decade, the Mirage III is considered one of Europe’s most successful military aircraft designs, serving 20 different nations, some of whom still fly it today.
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