The Mirage 3 was a technical, and political, masterpiece.
During the Cold War, most nations on Earth had three choices: ally with United States, with the Soviet Union, or attempt to maintain nonaligned status. With rapid advancement in aviation technology after World War II, most nations realize the need for high-performance military aircraft for national security, but the highest performance airplanes and weapon systems came from either the United States or the Soviet Union. Until French aerospace company Dassault developed the Mirage 3.
The Mirage 3 offered supersonic capability on a par with the fastest military aircraft in the world, combined with a simple, maintainable airframe and critically, used French derived engines, radars, and weapon systems. And to the Mirage weapon system could be purchased on a cash and carry basis, giving nonaligned nations the ability to procure high-technology aircraft without the political entanglements of the Cold War power structure. In the process, it cemented France as a major global power in the advanced aerospace sector, a status the country enjoys today.
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