Ukraine is expected to receive a first batch of three Mirage 2000-5F fighters in the first quarter of 2025, with France also providing six-month training courses for both pilots and ground personnel and a full support package.
Six months after French President Macron announced that an unspecified number of Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters is set to be transferred to Ukraine, it now appears that the first Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel might have completed their training in France. The info was first disclosed by RTL France, which mentioned that “the training of pilots and mechanics at the Nancy base seems to be complete.”
So far the info has not been confirmed by officials, however it is consistent with what was previously disclosed by Macron. In fact, when the transfer was first announced in June 2024, Macron said that the training would have taken five to six months. Also, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu mentioned in October that training was already ongoing in Nancy.
Mirage for Ukraine
As mentioned, France first announced the willingness to provide some of its Mirage 2000s to Ukraine in June 2024, in occasion of commemorations of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944, attended by Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky.
The French government confirmed in November that Ukraine will receive six Mirage 2000-5F fighters during the first quarter of 2025, together with a full support package. Ukraine has reportedly asked for 12 Mirages to meet its immediate needs. France is reported to have between 24 and 28 Mirage 2000-5F still in service.
Lecornu stated that the future Ukrainian Mirages will be modified. “The aim is to equip them with air-to-ground combat capabilities and strengthen their electronic warfare system,” said Lecornu. “This transformation operation will take place at the Cazaux base in Gironde.”
According to La Tribune, the aircraft delivered to Ukraine will be armed with MICA air-to-air missiles, SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, AASM Hammer guided bombs and two 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons. The MICA missiles and the cannons are already employed by the French Mirage 2000-5Fs, while the air-to-ground weapons have to be integrated.
No details are available regarding the electronic warfare system which will equip the aircraft, although some sources say it could be the Integrated Counter Measures Suite (ICMS) Mk3 already used by export Mirage 2000s. The system, which in the latest version is fully digital, includes radar and infrared warning sensors, as well as jammers and countermeasures.
As we mentioned when the transfer was first announced, similarly to the F-16s, the Mirage 2000s will not be real game changers in the air war over Ukraine, even though they will certainly help. This will in fact brin to the aerial battlefield another 4th gen. multirole aircraft with a good maneuverability and agility, fairly modern avionics and sensors, and the ability to carry two weapons already used by Ukraine, but this time fully integrated in the aircraft.
The weapons
The MBDA MICA (Missile d’interception, de combat et d’autodéfense, “interception, combat and self-defence missile”) is the main air-to-air missile employed by the French Air Force. The missile, which is classified as short to medium range, comes in two variants: IR (infrared) and RF (radiofrequency), the latter with active radar homing guidance.
The weapon has a lock-on after launch (LOAL) capability and is reportedly resistant to countermeasures, including both chaff and flares. Reports state MICA has a 12 kg (26 lb) warhead, with a 60–80 km (32–43 NM) range and a speed of Mach 4.
The SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général / Long Range Autonomous Cruise Missile System – General Purpose) is the French variant of the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile, which has been in use in Ukraine since May 2023. The two missiles are almost identical, with just minor differences.
This air-launched cruise missile is a stealthy weapon weighing 1,300 kg and measuring over 5 meters in length. It is specifically designed for attacking heavily fortified and valuable targets from stand-off distance, ensuring aircraft and crews remain out of harm’s way even in high-threat environments and adverse weather conditions.
Publicly available information indicates that the Storm Shadow/SCALP is equipped with a 450 kg conventional warhead and boasts an impressive range exceeding 250 km. The missile uses a BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge) multi-stage warhead, consisting of a precursor charge in front of a follow-through bomb, designed to penetrate hardened targets.
The AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire “Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range”) is a kit, consisting of a nose guidance section and a tail range extension kit, that can be applied to 250 kg and 1000 kg bombs (125 kg and 500 kg variants are under consideration). The kit is offered in three variants: inertial and GPS guidance, GPS, inertial and laser guidance, and SBU-64 GPS, inertial, and infrared guidance.
The munition can be employed day or night, under all weather conditions, at stand-off ranges which can reach over 70 km when launched from high altitude. The AASM can also be employed effectively at low altitude (with Safran saying it can still reach stand-off ranges) and highly off-axis respect to the target, and has the ability to perform precision vertical strikes, much like many missiles’ top-down attack capability. It has a solid-fuel rocket motor in the tail to propel the bomb.
