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The Dassault Mirage IV nuclear bomber was the result of General de Gaulle's decision to give France atomic weapons in the late 1950s. The Mirage IV was basically a scaled-up Mirage III which was too penetrate Soviet defenses at high speed and high altitude. It was later modified to pentrate at low-altitude, as SAM defenses had become too formidable to defeat. It was replaced by the Mirage 2000N in the nuclear bomber role in the mid-1990s but a handful remained in service until 2006 as reconnaissance aircraft.

1. Mirage IVA of an unknown unit of the French Armée de l'Air. This aircraft was seen in Mont-de-Marsan in july 1975 and sported the typical natural metal livery of early Mirage IVs.

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2. Mirage IV n°02 was the surviving prototype of the MIV program. It is now preserved in Paris. The AN-22 nuclear bomb can be seen in a semi-recessed position under the aircraft's belly.

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3.This Mirage IVP (n°23) was one of the airframes modified for reconnaissance duties with ERS 1/91 Gascogne, based at Mont-de-Marsan in 1996. The CT-52 recce pod can be seen under the aircraft's belly.

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2. Mirage IVP n°53 of ERS 1/91 Gascogne received UN markings for recce flights over Irak during Operation TARPAN in 2003. It is carrying a Barax ECM pod on the outer wing pylon.

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5. Mirage IVP n°26 of EB 2/91 "Bretagne" in June 1996. The "Bretagne" squadron used Mirage IVs in the nuclear bomber role until July 1996, when the squadron was disbanded and the Mirage IV phased out of service.