On 6 February, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that France had delivered the first Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine but did not specify the number of aircraft delivered.
According to RTL, the Mirage 2000-5F jets for the Ukrainian Air Force will be capable of launching SCALP EG/Storm Shadow cruise missiles and AASM-guided bombs, both of which Ukrainian pilots have used amid Russia’s war.
“On 6 June 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery of French Mirage 2000s to Ukraine.
The first of them arrived in Ukraine today. With Ukrainian pilots trained for several months in France on board, they will now help defend Ukraine’s skies,” said Lecornu on social media.
According to Militarnyi, Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets were modified before arriving in Ukraine to enable them to strike ground targets.
The aircraft has been upgraded to the Mirage 2000-5F Vi standard and now has modern communication systems, including Link 16, MICA air-to-air missiles with either active radar or infrared seekers, an upgraded RDY-2 radar, and an improved engine.
The Link 16 system enables real-time data exchange between aircraft, allowing for mid-course guidance updates, particularly for MICA missiles launched at long range. The jets can also receive targeting data from NATO AWACS and engage targets based on their coordinates or act as missile guidance platforms.
The RDY-2 pulse-Doppler radar, developed for the French M2000-5F, has a detection range of up to 120 km for aerial targets and 40 km in ground-search mode. However, the Mirage 2000-5F was primarily modernized for air-to-air combat, limiting its ground-attack capabilities.
The radar can detect up to 24 aerial targets simultaneously, track eight, and engage four at once. Its pulse-Doppler technology ensures reliable detection of low-flying targets against ground clutter.
Although the Mirage 2000-5F does not match the capabilities of the F-16, it will serve as a valuable complement to Ukraine’s Soviet-era jets and incoming F-16s.
There is speculation that French AASM-guided bombs may be integrated, though this would require extensive modifications.
Earlier, Macron had stated that France would organize six-month pilot training courses for operating the Mirage 2000-5, starting in the summer of 2024.
Related:
- France to send Ukraine new batch of SCALP and Mistral missiles
- France to train and outfit another Ukrainian brigade with equipment, Zelenskyy says
- La Tribune: France to deliver three Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine in early 2025
