France delivers first Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine ahead of schedule
France has delivered its first batch of multi-role Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, even though the original plan did not anticipate transfers until the end of 2024. "After several months of training Ukrainian pilots in France, the first planes have arrived in Ukraine," announced French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
However, Lecornu did not specify how many jets have been received by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He added that these aircraft, now in the hands of trained Ukrainian pilots, "will participate in defending Ukraine's skies."
BFMTV noted that out of the 26 Mirage 2000-5 aircraft available to the French Air Force, Paris had planned to transfer six to Kyiv.
French President Emmanuel Macron had initially promised in early June 2024 to supply Ukraine with a batch of Mirage 2000 jets by the end of 2024. Yet, in October, Defense Minister Lecornu stated that the delivery would be postponed to the first quarter of 2025.
The Mirage 2000-5 is an upgraded version of the Mirage 2000 combat aircraft. It features an enhanced radar system and can be equipped with Mica air-to-air missiles, as well as SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, which France supplies to Ukraine amidst its defense against the Russian invasion.