Mirage IIIS

The Mirage IIIS was the Swiss‑produced, licence‑built variant of the French Dassault Mirage III, assembled by what later became RUAG Holding. Ordered in 1964 to replace the aging de Havilland DH‑100 Vampire fleet, the first Mirage IIIS steamed off the Swiss factory in 1967 and entered operational service with the Swiss Air Force in 1968. The aircraft combined the classic delta‑wing geometry of the Mirage family with several Swiss‑specific enhancements: a reinforced airframe for high‑altitude performance, an enlarged fuel capacity extending range to over 2 000 km, and a specially adapted Roberge radar suite that permitted all‑weather interception. Powered by a SNECMA Atar 9K‑50 turbojet delivering 15 800 lbf thrust, the Mirage IIIS could reach Mach 2.2 and operate at ceilings above 18 000 m. Its armament package included the 30 mm DEFA cannon and provisions for Matra‑R530 missiles, AIM‑9 Sidewinders and tactical bombs.

During three decades of service the Mirage IIIS formed the backbone of Switzerland’s air‑defence strategy, providing a credible deterrent and maintaining national sovereignty without reliance on foreign basing. The program also proved instrumental in establishing RUAG’s competence in aircraft manufacturing, avionics integration and later joint‑venture projects, cementing its reputation within European aerospace.