Our protagonist was an Israeli Air Force (Heyl’ha Avir, H’HA) fighter aircraft that shone in the Arab-Israeli conflicts between 1964 and 1982, carrying out innumerable tactical and strategic reconnaissance missions over enemy territory armed with equipment and cameras installed within a variety of increasingly voluminous (and complex) “noses” contributing to Israel’s security in a noteworthy way.
In 1983 it was sold to the Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Argentina, FAA) to replace some of the losses from the South Atlantic Conflict a year earlier, its flight history in Argentina becoming routine and it ended up becoming a pale shadow of its past in Middle East.
Built at Marcel Dassault’s factory in Bordeaux-Mérignac (France) as a Mirage IIICJ(R) under construction number CJ-34, it was assigned H’HA serial number #798 when delivered in 1964.
Mirage IIICJ transfer flights between France and Israel were carried out by majors Danny Shapira and Ran Ronen, on “ferries” designated as Operation Zola I to XV.
Initially assigned to 119 “Tash’im” (Bat) Squadron, #798 landed at Tel Nof Air Base (along with its sister ship #799) on 03/09/1964, on a “ferry” flight from France with stopover in Corsica, at the end of operation Zola XIII.
Once on Israeli soil, it began an intense flying career in defense of the Jewish State, launching her first reconnaissance mission on 07/08/1964.
The SNECMA Atar 09B jet engine was somewhat deficient and caused the loss of four aircraft, which led to a massive repowering with the Snecma Atar 09C across the fleet in the early 1970s.
Defending Israel
Israel had entered the supersonic era on 04/07/1962 by taking delivery of the first of a total of 76 Mirage IIIs: 70 CJ single-seaters, four BJ two-seaters and two CJ(R) reconnaissance units, better known locally by their local nickname ” Shahak” (Skyblazer).
The reconnaissance pilots of the “Shahak” were delighted with their arrival, because they got a plane with which they flew beyond the borders of their enemies at speeds of more than 500 knots (926 km/h) with a single engine, at all altitudes, with good equipment and without technical failures.
They accomplished their missions with interchangeable noses, including the “Tarmil” (Bag) for medium altitude and the “Tashbetz” (Crosswords) containing American ICON HR-231 cameras for altitudes from 12,000 feet to 50,000 feet (4,000 meters to 15,000 meters), the “Moshel” (Governor) for low altitudes and the “Universal” for photography of different classes, which were long and made final approach and landing maneuvers a bit more difficult than usual for these delta-winged fighters.
Their flights were generally quite long, flying mostly low, and once over their targets, they would climb to 15,000 feet (5,000 m) to obtain photographs that provided valuable data to Israeli intelligence.
Flying to the targets required precise preparation and planning and exact adherence to schedules by the pilots, flying hundreds of very daring missions through very well defended airspaces.
“Shahak” #98 (as the CJ.34 was generally called in Israel) had an intense career and its stellar moment was in the Six Day War (06/1967), as well as in the Attrition (1967/1970) and Yom Kippur (10/1973) wars.
One of those electrifying missions took #98 and its #99 duo to H3 airbase in Iraq, which had become very important due to its size and strategic location, and was executed based on previous calculations of route, time and distance with reasonable precision, as narrated in detail by Brigadier General Amos Amir in his book “Fire in the Sky: Flying in Defence of Israel”.
Of great importance to Israel as a key factor in its survival as an independent nation, reconnaissance operations formed part of its intelligence assets and helped it determine the capabilities and readiness of hostile Arab armed forces.
Huge amounts of money were invested to have the best in this field and their activities were obviously secret so the units and personnel involved in them were not numerous.
In October 1970, the “Bat Squadron” received its first RF-4E Phantom II aircraft, so all of its Mirage IIICs were transferred to 101 “First Fighter” Squadron, where #98 and #99 would continue to fly with different reconnaissance equipment.
These systems were installed in a largely modified nose, known as the “Tzniut” (Discretion), for long-range oblique photography (LOROP), consisting of a 1.47 m cylinder and a 1.69 m radome with four windows (two lateral and two vertical) with access panels for maintenance.
Replaced in the reconnaissance role by a more advanced IAI Kfir fighter in the 1970s, our protagonist reverted to the standard Mirage IIICJ fighter configuration and remained active in operational training missions until its retirement from service and sale to the FAA.
In the Argentine Air Force
Initially, the FAA had been interested in the Mirage III back in 1971 and a commission went to Israel to study it when Atar 09C engine fitting was already underway.
A decade later, trying to compensate for the many combat aircraft lost during the 1982 conflict (including two Mirage IIEA and 11 Dagger), Argentina hastily purchased 22 of the HH’A Mirage IIIBJ/CJ in a discreet deal arranged by Argentine-Israeli businessman immediately after the Malvinas War.
To try and “cover-up” their arrival in country, blank purchase orders were issued by the always friendly and cooperative Peruvian Air Force and fake (or “temporary”) insignia and serial numbers were painted on all of the aircraft while they were being shipped through the Mediterranean Sea and the South Atlantic Ocean towards Buenos Aires.
Throughout so-called Operation Neptune, CJ.34 was “disguised” with the colors of the Peruvian Air Force (FAP 4822) and sent to Argentina aboard the ship MV “San Martin”.
Once at Rio Cuarto Material Area (Área de Material Río Cuarto, ARMACUAR) facilities, it underwent a complete revision of the systems, installing new radio equipment and repainting it with the colors and insignia of the FAA.
On 05/30/1984, it was assigned to I Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group (I Escuadrón del Grupo 4 de Caza, Esc.I/G4C) and on 10/18/1984 it arrived in IV Air Brigade (IV Brigada Aérea, IV Br Aé), making its first public presentation at the XXV Aeronautical and Space Week between October 16 and 21, 1984.
Best known as “Squadron 55” (motto “Faith, Prudence and Courage”), the unit paid tribute to the 55 FAA members killed in the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.
H’HA’s #98 became FAA’s C-711 and had a short operational career (1983-1991) participating in routine training, exercises and air parades.
Participated in exercise “Zonda 85” (06/09 to 06/16/1985), an air combat tactics training exercise between aircraft of different characteristics and, at the beginning of 10/1985, it took part in joint exercise with the Argentine Army (Ejército Argentino, EA) in Uspallata (Mendoza).
In 1986, it maintained a modest routine activity and in 1987 participated in FAA’s 75th Anniversary air parade over Buenos Aires.
Its last known operational exercise was “Gala I”, where it was pitted against X Br Aé Mirage 5PA in Rio Gallegos (03/27/1989 to 04/05/1989).
In 1990, it once again recorded minimal activity and its last flight took place on 02/06/1991, when Captain Oscar Cuello transferred it from Mendoza to the VI Air Brigade in Tandil (Buenos Aires) for storage and eventual discharge after a total of 2,491 flight hours… a very quiet career when compared to what it had endured for almost two decades in Israel!
Identities:
- Heyl Ha’Avir #798 (1964) and #498 (circa 1973).
- Peruvian Air Force 4822 (1983).
- Argentine Air Force C-711 (1983).
Owners and Operators:
- Heyl Ha’Avir: No.119 Squadron (Tel-Nof, 03/1964) and No.101 Squadron (Hatzor, circa 10/1970).
- Argentine Air Force: Rio Cuarto Material Area (1983), IV Br Aé (02/22/1985) and VI Br Aé (1991, stored).
Fate:
Became a VI Air Brigade “gate guardian” posing as IAI Dagger C-401 fitted with the Israeli variant’s distinctive nose cone. Relocated to Plaza VI Brigada Aérea in Tandil’s Metalúrgico neighborhood in an unmarked Dagger monument paying tribute to Argentine delta fighter crews.
Bibliography: Jorge Nuñez Padín: “Mirage IIICJ & IIIEA” (Air Force Series No.7, Argentina, 2002), Brigadier General Amos Amir: “Fire in the Sky: Flying in Defence of Israel” (Pen & Sword, England, 2005), Amos Dor: “From Mirage to Kfir part 1: The Mirage IIIC Shahak” (AD Graphics 1999), Raymond Ball “Camouflage & Markings The Israeli Air Force Part Two: 1967 to 2001” (Series Editor Neil Robinson by Guideline Publications , February 2001), Jorge Nuñez Padín: “Dassault Mirage IIICJ/BJ & IIIEA/DA” (Air Force Series n°23), Juan Carlos Cicalesi – Cesar del Gaizo: “Mirages I: Mirage III in Argentina”, (Destroyer , DEYSEG 2002). Internet sources: Modelistas Misiones (Facebook page), Airplane Stories, Amilarg, Aerohistoria Argentina, Britmodeller.com, José Luis Martínez Eyheramendi, Ángel Bertogna, Avialatina, Horacio Claria, Historias de Aviones, Paolo Rollino and Raymond Ball. Amos Dor, Paolo Rollino, Javier Ruberto and Javier Mosquera contributed significantly to this story.
