Ukraine receives first Mirage fighter jets from France
6 February 2025 13:20
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecorneuil said that Ukraine has received the first Mirage 2000 fighter jets from Paris. He wrote about this on his page on the social network X, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“On June 6, 2024, President Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery of French Mirage 2000s to Ukraine. The first of them arrived in Ukraine today,” the minister wrote.
The planes arrived with Ukrainian pilots on board, who have undergone several months of training in France and will now participate in the defense of Ukrainian skies.
Although the minister did not specify the exact number of aircraft, the event was an important milestone in military and technical support for Ukraine.
It is known that the Mirage 2000-5Fs have been decommissioned by the French Air Force and modified to perform more complex tasks than before. In total, Ukraine is to receive about ten Mirage fighters.
French specialists have reportedly modernized these aircraft to carry and fire SCALP-EG and Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Ukraine has both versions of the missiles.
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In February, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed an agreement on security cooperation.
The agreement between Ukraine and France provides for the allocation of 3 billion euros for defense this year, clear and principled support from Paris for Ukraine’s full membership in NATO, sanctions against Russia for the war, and accountability for the political leadership of Russia and all war criminals.
What is known about Mirage 2000-5
The Mirage 2000-5 is an upgraded version of the famous French Mirage 2000 fighter developed by Dassault Aviation. This version features improved avionics and weapons, which makes it effective both for gaining air superiority and for striking ground targets.
Main characteristics of the Mirage 2000-5:
- Maximum speed: 2340 km/h (Mach 2.2).
- Combat radius: 1488-1550 km.
- Flight range: 3335 km.
- Practical ceiling: 18 km.
Armament:
- MICA air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 80 km (infrared and radar homing warheads).
- Exocet anti-ship missile.
- Missile for ground strikes SCALP.
- AS37 anti-radar missile.
- AASM Hammer air bombs.
These fighters are capable of performing a wide range of tasks: from air defense to precision strikes on enemy targets.
The Mirage 2000-5F is reportedly optimized for the use of SCALP-EG and Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which expands Ukraine’s capabilities.
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