The Mirage is part of a long line of combat family aircraft that were produced by French aviation manufacturer Dassault-Breguet. One variant of the Mirage III became a basic interceptor, a second became a fighter-bomber and the third a reconnaissance aircraft.
According to the Britannica Encyclopaedia, the Mirage family of aircraft was adopted by many of the world’s smaller air forces during the 1960s because it was relatively inexpensive, simple and durable. These countries included Brazil, Lebanon, South Africa, Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, Australia and Switzerland.