France's Mirage 2000 jets bolster Ukraine's air defence
Ukrainian aviation expert Valeriy Romanenko believes that the Mirage 2000 fighter jets, which Ukraine is receiving from France, play a crucial role in the air defence of the country fighting against Russia. He also claims that they are a Plan B in the event of a lack of carriers for Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
As Romanenko notes, the French aircraft are not the latest models, but they prove to be extremely useful in the current situation of Ukrainian aviation. At the outbreak of the war, it was incomparably less equipped than the Russian Air Force. Currently, it has several dozen F-16s and a few Mirage 2000s at its disposal, which have supplemented the Soviet-era aircraft still in service, such as MiG-29 or Su-24.
The role of Mirage 2000 in Ukrainian aviation
The Su-24s had to be modified. The Ukrainians managed to adapt them to carry some Western weapons, including British Storm Shadow cruise missiles. These are long-range weapons, missiles carrying a 450-kilogram BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warhead, allowing them to hit targets up to about 500 kilometres away.
"These French aircraft are adapted to carry these missiles. They are our most far-reaching weapons, but during the war, we lost some aircraft that could attack deep into Russia, such as the Su-24s. That's why the Mirage is our Plan B," Romanenko stated as quoted by the Unian agency.
The Ukrainian expert added that the Mirage 2000s are also capable of carrying French AASM Hammer bombs, which can be used against Russian targets up to about 20 kilometres from the border. Photos confirming the Mirage 2000s armed in this manner over Ukraine have already appeared on social media.
The future of Ukrainian aviation
Ukraine may receive a total of about twenty Mirage 2000 fighter jets. However, Romanenko also mentioned the possibility of acquiring Dassault Rafale, though he noted that this is a distant prospect. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force might be strengthened by Swedish JAS-39 Gripen.
Ukraine is receiving the Mirage 2000-5F variants, which are among the key upgrades of this French aircraft. In October 2024, an article was published in "La Tribune" detailing the changes that these machines underwent before being sent to the front. They have been enhanced with electronic warfare systems and adapted to carry a broader range of weaponry, including air-to-air Mica missiles with a range of about 80 kilometres and the aforementioned AASM Hammer bombs.
