The Mirage III was a French, delta-winged, jet fighter aircraft used by the French Air Force during the Cold War. It was designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s. The prototype, the Mirage I, first flew on November 17, 1956, and, in 1961, entered into service in the French Air Force as the Mirage IIIC fighter. Around 1,450 units were built in France by Dassault Aviation. It was one of the most successful fighter aircraft manufactured in the post-war Europe, and the proud of France, as it was sold to many countries around the world and remaining in production for more than a decade. The most important custmor for the Mirage IIICs manufactured in France was the Israeli Air Force, which used the new French fighter widely and wisely during the Six-Day War, scoring kills against Syrian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s and MiG-21 aircraft.
At the time the Mirage IIIC was being manufactured and sold, the French firm Dassault was also considering a multi-role/strike variant of the aircraft, which eventually materialized as the Mirage IIIE. The first of three prototypes flew on 1 April 1961. The Mirage IIIE differed from the IIIC interceptor most obviously in having a 300 mm (11.8 in) forward fuselage extension to increase the size of the avionics bay behind the cockpit. The stretch also helped increase fuel capacity, as the Mirage IIIC had marginal range and improvements were needed. A number of reconnaissance variants were also produced under the general designation of Mirage IIIR. These aircraft had a Mirage IIIE airframe; Mirage IIIC avionics; a camera nose and unsurprisingly no radar; and retained the twin DEFA cannon and external stores capability. The camera nose accommodated up to five OMERA cameras.
Specifications for the Mirage IIIE
Engine: one SNECMA Atar 09C turbojet.
Maximum speed: Mach 2.2 (2,350 km/h, 1,460 mph)
Range: 2,400 km (1,500 mi).
Service ceiling: 17,000 m (56,000 ft).
Length: 15 m (49 ft 3.5 in).
Wingspan: 8.22 m (26 ft 11 in).
Crew: one.
Weapons: two 30 mm (1.18 in) DEFA 552 cannons; two Matra JL-100 drop tank/rocket pack, each with nineteen SNEB 68 mm rockets; two AM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles; two Matra R550 Magics air-to-air missiles; aircraft could carry up to 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of payload on five external hardpoints.
The A-26 Invader was a twin-engined light bomber which used by the US Army Air Forces during World War II and the Korean War, and by the French Air Force during the First Indochina War. It was designed and manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Co., with the XA-26 prototype performing its first flight on July 10, 1942. The Invader entered service in August 1943, as the A-26B, with the Fifth Air Force and first saw action in the Southwest Pacific theater on June 23, 1944, when they bombed Japanese-held islands near Manokwari. The Douglas A-26 was withdrawn from military service in 1972. The redesignation of the type from A-26 to B-26 in 1948 has led to popular confusion with the Martin B-26.
Specifications
Engine: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" radial piston engines, 2,000 hp each.
Maximum speed: 355 mph (570 km/h).
Range: 1,400 mi (2,300 km).
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m).
Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m).
Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m).
Crew: three
Weapons: eight 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose; eight 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in four optional underwing pods; two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret; two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret; the A-26 Invader could carry up to 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) of bombs.
The EA-6B Prowler was a US twin-engine, electronic warfare aircraft which was used by the US Navy and US Marine Corps during the Cold War and the war against Muslim terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Prowler was developed by Grumman from the A-6 Intruder airframe, which was equipped with new electronic warfare (EW) equipment when it was turned into the EA-6B. The Prowler was designed as an electronic escort and command and control platform for strike missions, but it was also capable of attacking surface targets on its own, especially radar antennae, surface-to-air missile launchers, and other enemy defenses. It entered service with the US Navy in 1971.
The EA-6B was powered by two non-afterburning jet engines and is capable of high subsonic speeds. Due to demanding EW operations and age, the Prowler was a high-maintenance aircraft and also underwent more frequent equipment upgrades than any other aircraft in the Navy. Northrop Grumman received contracts from the US Navy to deliver new electronic countermeasures gear to Prowler squadrons. The heart of each ICAP III set consisted of the ALQ-218 receiver and new software that provided more precise selective-reactive radar jamming and deception and threat location. The ICAP III sets were also equipped with the Multifunction Information Distribution System (MIDS), which included the Link 16 data link system.
Specifications (EA-6B Prowler)
Avionics: ALQ-99 on board receiver (OBS); ALQ-99 pod mounted jamming system (TJS); USQ-113 communications jamming system.
Engine: two Pratt & Whitney J52-P408A turbojets.
Maximum speed: 651 mph (1,050 km/h).
Range: 2,400 mi (3,861 km).
Length: 59 ft 10 in (17.7 m).
Wingspan: 53 ft (15.9 m).
Crew: four (one pilot, and three electronic countermeasures officers).
Weapons: four AGM-88 HARM antiradar missiles.
