Mirage on Display   Mirage F1CG   Hellenic Air Force

Nick (Nikos) Delhanidis, a graphic designer from Greece, has sent some images of the F1CG in Hellenic Air Force service taken at air shows as well as some scanned images from the Greek magazine Ptisi & Diastima (Flight and Space).  Nick, as you might recall, released a fictional Hellenic Air Force display team consisting of a foursome of Mirage F1CGs this past year.  The Mirage F1CG entered service with the Hellenic Air Force in 1975.  The aircraft is used as an all weather interceptor and air superiority fighter (later along side their Mirage 2000CG).  Click images for a larger view.

It is interesting to note that the F1CGs are armed with the Sidewinder AIM-9P air-to-air missile rather than the more commonly seen Matra Magic II missile.  I believe Spain is the only other country that also uses the Sidewinder on their F1s.  Also interesting is the mounting of two additional Sidewinder launch rails on the outer underwing station for a total of four missiles. On June 30, 2003 the Mirage F1CG ended 28 years of service with the Hellenic Air Force.  For the end of service ceremonies two aircraft received special paint schemes.  Nick Delhanidis has scanned some images from the magazine Ptisi & Diastima (Flight and Space).
ANAGRA, Greece --- The Mirage F1CG has been officially withdrawn from operational service by the Hellenic Air Force. During an official ceremony held at Tanagra HAF airbase, General Y. Papanikolaou, Chief of Staff of the Hellenic Air Force, praised the 28 years of faithful and reliable service provided by the Dassault Aviation single-engine fighter to the defence of Hellenic airspace. In his comments, Serge Dassault, Honorary Chairman of Dassault Aviation, stressed the fact that the Mirage F1 is at the origin of a very long and exemplary partnership between the air forces and the industries of Greece and France.  He said that this partnership has been further reinforced by the selection of the Mirage 2000 multirole fighter by Greece in the eighties, and, more recently by the order for the Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2. The Mirage F1CG had been ordered by Greece in 1974 and 40 units had been delivered from 1975.  The Mirage F1CG logged more than 160,000 flying hours with the HAF.  Throughout 28 years of operational service, they demonstrated their ruggedness, their reliability and their capability to ensure total security of Hellenic airspace, in full independence and autonomy. (Source: Dassault Aviation; issued July 1, 2003)

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