France confirms that the Mirage 2000s will arrive in early 2025

The first of an undisclosed number of Mirage 2000 fighter jets will arrive in Ukraine in early 2025, the French defense minister said. (French Air and Space Force)

The Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jets promised by France will arrive in Ukraine in early 2025, it was announced on October 8.

French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu made the announcement via his official X account (formerly Twitter), giving a timeline some five months after French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the transfer in June.

“Mirage 2000 on its way to Ukraine: delivery is still scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. In Cazaux, Gironde, they will be equipped with new equipment: air-ground combat and defense against electronic warfare. The training of Ukrainian pilots and mechanics continues,” the minister tweeted.

In March 2023
Le Figaro
reported that up to 30 Ukrainian pilots were trained on the Mirage 2000 in France, and that the French Air and Space Forces could supply “dozens” of such aircraft to Kiev if the French government makes the decision. Neither Lecornu nor Macron have said how many Mirages will be transferred to Ukraine.

As noted by
Jane’s World Air Force
the French Air and Space Force has 27 single-seat Mirage 2000-5F fighters that it has received since 1997, as well as seven two-seat Mirage 2000Bs from 1983 and 60 two-seat Mirage 2000Ds from 1993. These are all gradually being French service replaced by the Dassault Rafale, hence their availability for Ukraine. France also has an undisclosed number of Mirage 2000Cs in storage, after the last squadron was retired in 2022.

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