The Airplane that Caught a U-2 at 65,000 Feet

In the cockpit of the Dassault Mirage III, a jet engineered for a staggering climb rate and speeds of Mach 1.3, Israeli Air Force pilot Giora Epstein, known as the 'ace of aces,' gripped the controls.


As the 1973 Yom Kippur War unfolded—a conflict that saw Israel fighting against a coalition of Arab states—Epstein soared above the burning sands of the Middle East. His Mirage III was armed with a radar-guided R.530 missile, ready to lock onto enemy targets.


Dogfight after dogfight, Epstein outmaneuvered and outgunned Syrian and Egyptian aircraft, racking up victories.


From the burning sands of the Middle East to standing tall amid the frosty winds of the Falklands, the battle scars of the Mirage III tell tales of innovative aviation that span continents and eras.



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