11/15/2022. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Early in 1964, Avions Marcel Dassault was awarded a contract to develop a successor to the Mirage III with emphasis on the low-altitude penetration role, and an order followed for a single prototype of a tandem two-seat aircraft which it was intended to power with the SNECMA (Pratt & Whitney) TF- 306 turbofan. Despite minimal resemblance and relationship to the delta-winged series of fighters, the new fighter, which featured a high-mounted swept wing with horizontal tail surfaces, was assigned the designation Mirage F2 and was flown on June 12, 1966.

Initial flight trials were conducted with a Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofan rated at 18,520 lb (8,400 kg) with reheat. After being re-engined with a TF-306 of 19,840 lb (9,000 kg), it attained Mach 2.0 (1,483 mph, 2,387 kmh) on its second flight on December 29, 1966.

Work had begun on a single-seat version, the Mirage F3 with a 22,770 lb (10,350 kg) TF-306E engine, but changes in Armée de l'Air requirements saw interest transferred to a scaled down and simpler version of the basic design, the Mirage F1, development of which had been pursued in parallel by Dassault, and further development of the Mirage F2 as a combat aircraft was discontinued."