France will deliver Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025, equipped with the latest systems for fighting and protecting against electronic warfare.
This was reported by the French Defense Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, on October 8 on his social media.
Lecornu added that the training of the Ukrainian pilots continues.
The Mirage 2000 is a French fighter jet, similar to the American F-16 in that it’s powered by a single engine, which enhances its maneuverability and simplifies maintenance. However, this also reduces its reliability, meaning if the engine fails, there’s no backup.
The French Joint Chiefs of Staff announced in September that France has successfully completed the training of the first group of Ukrainian pilots on Alpha Jet aircraft. Following this training, the newly qualified pilots were expected to transition to operational F-16 training at Romania’s Fetesti air base.
However, some were expected to remain in France for further training on the Mirage 2000s, which President Macron promised to provide to Ukraine.
Previously, France announced its plans to modify some of the Mirage 2000-5 aircraft that France plans to deliver to Ukraine to equip them with the ability to engage ground targets.
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