French fighter jets: Modest but strategic support for Ukraine

Although information about France's possible delivery of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine has been circulating since 2023, the authorities there decided to confirm the preparations for their delivery only in October of this year. As revealed by the newspaper La Tribune, the first batch, expected to reach Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025, will include only three French fighters.

This confirms earlier concerns of some analysts, who argued that Ukraine cannot expect a larger number of Mirage 2000-5s. It is possible that, in total, they will receive six to a maximum of 12 such fighter jets. All of them will, however, be modified and adapted to carry weaponry, which should pose the greatest threat to the Russians.

The Mirage 2000-5 fighters handed over to the Ukrainian air force will be equipped to carry French-British SCALP-EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which have already been reaching the front lines for some time. These long-range weapons allow targeting at distances of up to 500 kilometres. Each missile is over 5 metres long and weighs roughly 1,300 kilograms, with 450 kilograms accounting for the warhead.

According to "La Tribune," the Ukrainians will also be able to use French AASM glide bombs, which they are already familiar with (they use them on MiG-29 and Su-25 aircraft) and modern Mica air-to-air missiles with a range of about 80 kilometres. The Mirage 2000-5 jets for Ukraine will also receive improvements in electronic warfare systems. By default, they are equipped with two 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons.

These single-engine multirole fighters are characterized by their delta wing design. They are over 15 metres long with a wingspan of 9 metres. They can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.35 and operate at altitudes over 19,000 metres.