Selling the Mirage is a  detailed account of the day-to-day activities of the team which, in early 1990, successfully negotiated Australia’s first major international arms export: the sale of the RAAF’s retired Mirage fleet to Pakistan.

The account covers the hurried preparation, development of negotiating strategies, the events, some quite unexpected, that led to the finally agreed price and schedule of payments, and the intense period of contract negotiation.

Based largely on the diary of the team leader, now-retired Air Vice-Marshal Richard Bomball, the story includes background of the troubled political situation between India and Pakistan, and of an earlier failed Sale-by-Tender attempt to market the 50 Mirage aircraft and a large inventory of Mirage-related spares and equipment, including the early production and assembly jigs.

The record also includes an extensive collection of press clippings covering the domestic and international furore that erupted following the announcement of this controversial event.

The story reveals several related anecdotes that add some surprising detail beyond that previously publicly available.

While the account relates events that occurred some 35 years ago, it might have unexpected contemporary relevance given the recent Australian Army decision to strip and bury its Taipan helicopters, despite these aircraft still being successfully operated in New Zealand and Europe!

The Author: At the time he was appointed to lead the sales team, AVM Bomball was Chief of Air Force Development, the senior RAAF position responsible for representing Air Force on the highest-level Defence committees dealing with force capability and major infrastructure projects. Of great relevance to this particular project were his 1500 hours of Mirage flying experience, including command of No 3 Mirage Squadron in Butterworth in 1973/74 and command of the RAAF’s premier fighter base – RAAF Williamtown – from 1984 to 1986 during phase-out of the Mirage and introduction into service of the Hornet fighter.  He had substantial overseas experience, including defence and Air Attache’ in Japan from 1979-81, and the Royal College of Defence Studies in London in 1987. His decision at the time to keep a detailed diary, including the rationale behind all decisions taken, made him uniquely qualified to complete this important historical record.