French mirages to bolster Ukrainian air defences by 2025
French Mirage fighters will soon enhance Ukrainian air defence, offering unique capabilities that the F-16s lack, says Dmytro Zhmailo, co-founder of the Ukrainian Centre for Security and Cooperation think tank, as quoted by the Ukrainian agency Unian.
The Ukrainian armed forces use F-16 fighters, but their numbers are limited, which affects their effectiveness. As Dmytro Zhmailo emphasizes, F-16s are mainly used in anti-aircraft defence, effectively combating missiles and drones.
F-16s are not sufficient support
Zhmailo points out that although F-16s are also used against strike aviation, their numbers are insufficient to serve as a key defence element. "F-16s operate, but their impact cannot be considered a significant separate element because we have very few of them," the expert said.
Since F-16s are not currently sufficient support for Ukrainian aviation, the local arsenal will soon be strengthened with additional machines - French Mirages. The new fighters are expected to appear on the front by the end of March 2025.
They are not as agile and fast as the F-16s, but their great advantage, aside from also being able to be used as an air defence component, is that they carry Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, which the F-16s cannot carry," claims Zhmailo. "Considering that we use this Western-designed weaponry on our MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft, it will be an excellent reinforcement," he added. According to the experts, Mirage fighters are effective against cruise missiles and Shaheds.
Mirage 2000 fighters
The Mirage 2000 is a versatile fighter developed by Dassault Aviation, characterised by its delta wing design and powered by a single engine. This French aircraft is over 15 metres long, and its wingspan is approximately 9 metres. It can fly at altitudes reaching up to 19,000 metres.
The Mirage 2000-5F, which will be transferred to Ukraine, entered service in 1991 and is one of the key upgrades in this line of aircraft. They are equipped with modernised cockpits and advanced combat systems. These machines will be able to use French AASM glide bombs, already familiar to Ukrainian pilots. They will also have the capability to use advanced Mica air-to-air missiles.
