- France initially gave Ukraine 10 or so Mirage 2000 fighters
- Now more are on the way—possibly all 26 jets France operated
- So far, the supersonic fighters only fly air defense sorties over Ukrainian cities
- But they also have potent offensive capability in the form of precision glide bombs
- When will the ex-French jets take the fight to the Russians?
The French air force had 26 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 supersonic fighters in service when, in June 2024, the French government announced it would transfer some of the jets to Ukraine. The first of the 1980s-vintage fighters arrived in February 2025. One crashed in July.
France may eventually transfer all 26 of its Mirage 2000-5 fighters to Ukraine—enough to equip an entire tactical aviation brigade. But so far, the supersonic jets have flown strictly defensive sorties over Ukrainian cities.
The question now: when will Ukraine pivot to offense?
We don't know exactly how many Mirage 2000s France pledged at first, although the consensus seems to be 10. More are coming, however. And that's good news for Ukrainian air power.
What did France just promise?
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's new defense minister, announced the pledge on social media on Tuesday following his conversation with Catherine Watren, the French defense minister.
Fedorov said he thanked France "for many years [of] consistent cooperation and strong contribution to the development of our anti-aircraft and aviation capabilities."
"This is a partnership that is already working to protect the Ukrainian sky," Fedorov wrote. Additional French munitions and equipment are coming, including missiles for SAMP/T and Crotale air defense systems.
Regarding the Mirage 2000, Fedorov announced he was "expecting an additional supply of aircraft" that would represent "a significant enhancement of our capabilities in the air."
Could Ukraine get all 26 jets?
It's possible Fedorov was simply confirming a deal the Ukrainians and French cut back in the fall. "France will announce that it is giving 20 Mirages instead of 10," former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Le Monde in September.
At least one observer believes France will eventually give Ukraine all or nearly all of the 26 jets the French operated in 2024. The newer Dassault Rafale is steadily replacing the Mirage 2000 in French service. Kyiv also plans to acquire the Rafale, but it could take years before the type arrives in Ukraine in significant numbers.
Twenty-six Mirage 2000s—well, 25 now that one has crashed—would be enough to fully equip an entire Ukrainian tactical aviation brigade, which is roughly equivalent to a US Air Force wing. A brigade or wing is most efficient when it's bigger, as more airframes mean more flexibility to move individual jets in and out of maintenance while still ensuring every available pilot flies as often as they can.
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Why are Mirages hunting missiles, not bombing?
What the Ukrainian air force does with its possible full brigade of Mirage 2000s remains to be seen. At present, the nimble fighters strictly fly air defense patrols over Ukrainian cities, firing Magic infrared-guided missiles and Super 530 radar-guided missiles at Russian munitions.
And not just any munitions. In Ukrainian service, the Mirage 2000 is shaping up to be a kind of air defense specialist, using its high speed to intercept 900 km/hr Russian cruise missiles—and leaving the 200 km/hr Shahed attack drones to other defenses including ground-based radio jammers and guns as well as helicopters and propeller-driven aircraft that are too slow to catch up with the missiles.
Not coincidentally, Ukraine's growing fleet of ex-European F-16s also fly air defense missions, although they also occasionally lob precision glide bombs at Russian ground forces or use their radar jamming pods to protect other Ukrainian warplanes, which lack jamming capability.
Mirage 2000 vs F-16 in Ukrainian service
| Mirage 2000-5 | F-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | France | Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium |
| First arrival | February 2025 | August 2024 |
| Current fleet | ~10 now; up to 25 total if France transfers all | 60+ pledged |
| Current role | Air defense only | Air defense + ground attack |
| Air-to-air missiles | Magic IR, Super 530 radar | AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9 Sidewinder |
| Ground attack weapons | Hammer glide bombs (unused) | Paveway IV, JDAM (active) |
| Jammers | Yes | Yes |
| Time to offensive use | TBD | ~1 year |
The Mirage 2000s also have jammers and can, in theory, carry Hammer glide bombs and other air-to-ground munitions. But there's no evidence the ex-French jets have performed any offensive sorties. For now, it seems, the Ukrainians are assigning them to a strictly defensive role.
That may change as the small Ukrainian Mirage 2000 force expands and matures and its pilots gain experience. It's worth noting that the Ukrainian F-16 fleet fought defensively for nearly a year before pivoting to sustained offensive sorties.
