This Dassault Mirage 5 was on display in the Musée royal de l’armée et de l’histoire militaire or Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels.
The Dassault Mirage 5 holds a unique place in the history of the Belgian Air Force, serving as its primary fighter-bomber for over two decades. In the late 1960s, Belgium sought to replace its aging Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks and RF-84F Thunderflashes. After considering various options, including the F-5A, A-4E, and Draken, the Mirage 5 was selected, largely due to its cost-effectiveness and Dassault’s willingness to allow license production by SABCA in Belgium. This led to Belgium becoming the largest operator of the Mirage 5, with an initial order of 106 aircraft.
The Belgian Air Force retired its Mirage 5 fleet in the mid-1990s, replacing them with the more advanced F-16 Fighting Falcon.