Developed from the highly successful Mirage III, the Dassualt Mirage 5 is simplified version of the aforementioned aircraft with significant daytime ground attack capability. It had originally been designed for an Israeli requirement in 1966, however, after the 1967 war the French government led by President de Gaulle cancelled the order and the aircraft entered service with the Armée de l'Air instead. Cheaper and longer ranged than its predecessor, it quickly became an export success with 11 air forces ordering over 500 units. Major changes included additional external hardpoints for more varied ordinance, as well as the removal of the radar, thus allowing for a larger fuel load, nevertheless some export variants could be fitted with the Aida II or Agave radar. Further modifications led to the even more powerful Mirage 50 with a new engine and improved avionics. Mirage 5/50s have been exported to Abu Dhabi, Colombia, Egypt, Gabon, Israel, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Venezuela and Zaire as well as being license built in Belgium with US avionics.

First flight of the Mirage 5 occurred on 19 May 1967, this was from the initial batch from the failed Israeli order and entered service as the Mirage 5F in France (they had been designated Mirage 5J for Israel). Additional variants include the Mirage 5R reconnaissance aircraft and the two-seat Mirage 5D. The Mirage 5 was eventually modified into the Mirage 50 which first flew on 15 April 1979. This aircraft had the distinction of being fitted with the more powerful Ata 9K-50 engine and also had a variety of radar options for export customers including the Cyrano IVM-3 which allowed it to perform both day and night missions. The Mirage 50s were either new builds or modifications from other aircraft in the Mirage family. Finally, Isreali units were known as the Nesher and are described separately.