Capitalizing on the -albeit mild - success of the he Ouragan, Dassault set out to develop a transonic jet to compete with the likes of similar swept wing aircraft at the time, like the F-86 and MiG-15 and 17. The first design, the Dassault Mystère II, essentially an Ouragan with swept wings, was a failure, but from it came success. Though bearing a resemblance the failed Mystère II, the Mystère IV was a new design with countless improvements. Introduced in 1953 as a fighter-bomber, the Mystère IV became the first transonic aircraft with the French Air Force.

Like with the previous Ouragan, the majority of the Mystère IV's success was in the hands of Israeli pilots, becoming the nation's first swept wing aircraft, it saw combat in the Arab–Israeli wars and the Suez Crisis.

With only 411 being built, the Mystère IV was not as popular or well known as contemporary aircraft, but it helped shape the French aviation industry into what it is today. Retired in the 1980s, the Mystère IV had an impressive service life.