Aviation Historian 10
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J.Franzi - "Get Crunge!" /An eye for detail/
Mirage IIIO(A) A3-54 of No 77 Sqn RAAF (nearest camera) formates with A-4 Skyhawk NZ6205 of No 75 Sqn RNZAF (leading) and an F-16 of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing over New Zealand during Exercise Triad 84, held the year before the Mirage became the mount of “Crunge”.
Dassault Mirage IIIO A3-54 was built by the Government Aircraft Factory as a ground-attack variant and was delivered to the RAAF on July 14, 1967. It went on to serve with No 75 Sqn at RAAF Butterworth in Malaysia during the 1970s and was on strength with No 77 Sqn at RAAF Willamtown by 1984. In July 1986 the unit began phasing out the Mirage in readiness for the introduction of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, and A3-54 had transferred to No 79 Sqn at Butterworth by 1987. It was used for trials of experimental grey air superiority camouflage schemes. On May 6, 1988, A3-54 was withdrawn from service and placed in storage, before being sold in November 1990 to the Pakistan Air Force, with which it served as 90-554.