France delivered the first batch of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine to help Kyiv defend its airspace against Russia, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Thursday.
“The first of these aircraft have arrived in Ukraine today,” Lecornu said on X, without saying how many had been delivered. After France helped train Ukrainian pilots over recent months, “they will now help defend Ukraine’s skies,” he added.
Earlier, as reported by EurAsian Times, Lecornu had said that Paris intended to arm Ukraine with French fighters in the first half of next year (2025).
Lecornu had said, “Mirage 2000s could be flying in Ukraine in the first half of 2025,” without giving a specific date for the delivery of the aircraft that French President Emmanuel Macron promised to the Ukrainian Air Force earlier this year.
Mirage 2000-5 is a fourth-generation jet and belongs to the same class of aircraft as the F-16, which is already in service with the Ukrainian Air Force. Kyiv has deployed the F-16s mainly for air defense and combat patrols.
Lecornu had added that Paris was modifying their aircraft to make them better suited for the conflict in Ukraine.
“The aim is to equip them with air-to-ground combat capabilities and reinforce their electronic warfare system. But most important is the training of pilots and mechanics, which continues in Nancy,” the Minister said. Mirage-2000 was originally designed for air-to-air combat.
Earlier, on September 20, 2024, the French Armed Forces announced that the first group of Ukrainian pilots had successfully finished their Alpha Jet training in France. Typically, pilot training for the Mirage takes around five to six months.
Via: ET Desk
