Mirage V for VVS and export

[Monk78]

What if Soviets acquired mirage V via Libya by early 70s and reverse engineered it and produced a ground attack fighter that can be used to fill numbers with VVS and also exported to Soviet client states
Pros are
Simple design and avionics
That should be easily replicated by Soviets , and offer fair weather air to air capability desired by their clients
Far superior range and payload to even mig21bis just entering service
simpler design than MiG-27 , so if that’s skipped VVS can focus on su-17 and for OCA the formidable su-24
In summary
Much less need for domestic mig27 su25 and export mig21bis
Little more demand for su-24 in VVS as no MiG-27 or su-25
a lot of su-25 work will fall on mi-24

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Alternate history topics should be at least vaguely plausible.

There's as much chance of the USSR copying the Mirage V as there is of the USA putting a MiG-21 clone into production.

 

[Monk78]

Alternate history topics should be at least vaguely plausible.

There's as much chance of the USSR copying the Mirage V as there is of the USA putting a MiG-21 clone into production.

Please explain why you think that

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Mirage V has no special characteristics of any kind. Its a very simple low cost ground attack derivative of a fine but not exceptional 1960s fighter. If the USSR wanted to build a Mirage clone, they could have done so with no need to have an example to copy from. Tailless delta wing designs were considered for MiG-27 and MiG-31 and discarded.

In the early 70s, VVS wanted aircraft comparable or better to the US in performance. There no universe where they would have suddenly felt like copying a Mirage V, and there was no possibility of making an "export fighter".

As a ground attack aircraft, Mirage V got a large delta wing that doesn't do it any favours. The Su-17 and MiG-27 have somewhat better avionics, weapons and better optimised airframes for the mission. The Su-25 is clearly better.

 

[Archibald]

Some interesting stuff here.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/us-aircraft-in-communist-hands.1838/#post-56528

 

[kaiserbill]

As a ground attack aircraft, Mirage V got a large delta wing that doesn't do it any favours. The Su-17 and MiG-27 have somewhat better avionics, weapons and better optimised airframes for the mission. The Su-25 is clearly better.

Indeed.
Plus the fact that at this time period they had access to far better turbojet engines in the R-29 and AL-21 variants than the Atar 9, in almost any metric you choose.
Almost double the power, better sfc, better twr, over double the pressure ratio...etc ..and all in a roughly similar sized package as the ATAR.