Looks Like Ukraine Is Going To Double Its Fleet of Mirage 2000 Fighters
France may transfer all 26 of its Mirage 2000-5s
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.
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.”
