Ukraine Seeks More Mirage 2000 Fighter Jets
Ukraine aims to expand its Air Force fleet with additional French Mirage 2000 jet fighters.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi stated this following a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“We discussed the possibility of expanding our air fleet with additional Mirage fighter jets,” Zelenskyi stated.
In addition, the presidents discussed joint production and investment in interceptor drones.
Ukraine is already using Mirage 2000 fighter jets in combat conditions.
In March, it was reported that these aircraft first participated in fighting off a Russian combined missile and drone strike — at that time, a Ukrainian Mirage 2000 shot down a Kh-101 cruise missile.
The first group of Ukrainian pilots and technical personnel completed training on this type of multirole combat aircraft at the end of December 2024.
According to the analytical resource French Aid to Ukraine, the training lasted six months.
Ukraine is expected to receive between 12 and 20 Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets as part of French military assistance.
Meanwhile, it is not ruled out that this number could increase, for example, through the transfer of aircraft from the French Air and Space Force, or potentially from Greece.
Before delivery, the jets underwent necessary modifications, particularly adaptation for engaging ground targets.
According to media reports, the Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets will be capable of using precision weaponry, including the French-British SCALP EG / Storm Shadow cruise missiles and French AASM guided bombs.
