PARIS (Agencies): Ukraine has received the first Mirage 2000 fighter jets promised by France, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Thursday. This delivery marks the introduction of Ukraine’s second type of Western aircraft, supplementing the F-16 jets handed over by allies last year.
The Mirage 2000 jets, which arrived with Ukrainian pilots on board after several months of training in France, will now participate in defending Ukraine’s skies, Lecornu stated in a post on X. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine also shared an image of a Mirage 2000 taking off in Ukrainian livery, with the caption, “Already in Ukraine.”
A significant advantage of operating Western jets is their compatibility with NATO ordnance, including Scalp/Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles, guided bombs, and older air-to-air missiles that many of Ukraine’s allies have in stock. Last year, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway delivered F-16s to Ukraine, with the Dutch planning to provide another batch in 2025.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the plan to deliver French Mirage 2000 jets to Ukraine in June, with details emerging later. France intends to deliver a total of six Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine, as outlined in a budget document from the National Assembly’s defense committee.
The first delivery includes three aircraft armed with MBDA’s Mica air-to-air missiles, Scalp cruise missiles, and Safran’s AASM Hammer guided bombs. The aircraft are equipped with two 30 mm cannons and nine hard points. The Mirage 2000-5, an air-superiority version, has been upgraded for air-to-ground combat and electronic warfare defense. Meanwhile, the Mirage 2000 D in the French Air Force is a ground-attack version.
- Diverse Fleet of the Ukrainian Air Force
The Ukrainian Air Force boasts a diverse fleet of aircraft, enhancing its operational capabilities. Here’s a brief overview:
- Fighters
- MiG-29A/S/G/MU/UB: Multirole fighters
- Su-27UB/S1M/P1M: Multirole fighters
- Su-24M/MR: Strike aircraft
- F-16C/D/AM/BM: Multirole fighters
- Close-Air Support (CAS)
- Su-25/UB/K/BM/SM: Close-air support aircraft
- Helicopters
- Mi-8T: Transport helicopter
- Mi-17: Transport helicopter
- Transport
- Il-76MD: Strategic airlifter
- An-24: Tactical airlifter
- An-26B: Tactical airlifter
- An-70: Tactical airlifter
- An-178: Tactical airlifter
- Reconnaissance
- An-30: Tactical reconnaissance aircraft
- Su-24MR: Tactical reconnaissance aircraft
- Bayraktar TB2: Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
- Tu-141: Tactical reconnaissance drone
- Tu-143: Tactical reconnaissance drone
- RQ-11: Tactical reconnaissance drone
- Trainers
- Aero L-39: Advanced jet trainer
The Ukrainian Air Force continues to modernize and upgrade its fleet to enhance its capabilities and maintain operational readiness.
The Mirage 2000, which first flew in 1978, has a rich history with nearly 600 produced, and nearly half exported to countries like Brazil, the UAE, Greece, and Taiwan. The aircraft has a combat mass of 9.5 tons, a maximum take-off weight of 17.5 tons, a top speed of Mach 2.2, and can remain on station for 2 hours 40 minutes at a distance of 150 nautical miles from its base.
France is gradually replacing its Mirage fleet with Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, planning to retire the Mirage 2000-5 by 2029 and the Mirage 2000 D by 2035. The operating cost of a French Mirage 2000 is around €17,000 per flying hour, while the F-16’s operating costs were reported at $26,927 per flying hour in 2020.