French Mirage Jets Arrive in Ukraine

Just in time.

Dassault Mirage 2000

I really wish they had done this sooner. Most of us—including Europe—thought the Ukrainian Air Force would get a reasonable number of F-16s and fully trained pilots to fly them. But the proposal got tangled in bureaucracy, going through one too many hoops.

At least 60 F-16s were pledged by various partners, but a training fiasco turned the situation into a disgrace. Less than a squadron of pilots were actually trained. Former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan blamed Ukraine for not having enough pilots ready for training.

I guess all the pilots France trained over the last seven months were stashed away in heaven before dropping into reality.

Anyway, the point is, Ukraine took a while to realize that Jake Sullivan would not eventually shift his stance and allow an adequate number of pilots to be trained. That’s when they turned their attention to French President Emmanuel Macron. Fortunately, they met a very different Macron from the one they dealt with in 2023.

During the D-Day celebrations last June, France made a flurry of announcements. They promised to train and fully equip a Ukrainian brigade. They also committed to delivering French Mirage jets to Ukraine and training Ukrainian pilots to fly them.

They have kept all of those promises—on time and as pledged.

Today, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that the French Mirage jets have been delivered to Ukraine.

On June 6, 2024, Emmanuel Macron announced the delivery of French Mirage 2000s to Ukraine.

The first of them arrived in Ukraine today.

With Ukrainian pilots on board who have been trained for several months in France, they will now participate in defending the skies of Ukraine.—

Sébastien Lecornu, Feb 6, 2025

The Mirage jets heading to Ukraine aren’t the ones currently in use by the French Air Force. France refurbished jets that were slated for retirement, modifying them extensively over the past six months. They’ve been upgraded with air-to-ground combat capabilities and anti-electronic warfare defense systems.

Ukraine already has an unknown number of F-16s (I’d estimate 15 to 20 units). Now, they’re getting an unknown number of Mirage jets (likely 4 to 6 units). This is just the first batch, and over time, that number should get closer to two full squadrons. A fleet of 24 Mirage jets would be a reasonable target.

Why?

Though Ukraine has ten long-range air defense systems and a solid number of medium-to-short-range units, Russia’s missile production remains robust. They’re still manufacturing around 130 missiles per month and never let their stockpile drop below 500 units at any given time.

That’s a massive arsenal.

These missiles can be launched from long-range bombers, warships and submarines in the Black Sea, and ground-based launchers in Crimea, occupied Ukraine, and Russia itself. A large stockpile and multiple launch platforms mean Russian missile attacks keep evolving in complexity, designed to overwhelm and outmaneuver Ukraine’s air defense umbrella.

Having highly flexible and mobile F-16s as part of this umbrella significantly strengthens Ukraine’s air defenses. During the December 13 missile barrage, when Russia launched 93 missiles, F-16s intercepted 11—about 12%. On January 7, during another missile barrage of 94 missiles, Kyiv reported that a single F-16 pilot destroyed six Russian missiles in one mission—a historic record.

This isn’t unusual. F-16s are built to take on Russian missiles, capable of switching between offensive and defensive roles. But with a limited number of trained pilots and jets, Ukraine’s Air Force has to be extremely strategic. The F-16s must remain primarily defensive weapons—unless an unprecedented opportunity arises.

That’s where the Mirage jets come in. They aren’t designed to intercept Russian missiles, but they are perfect for striking frontline positions. Ukraine will use them to target Russian forces—I have no doubt about that. France has been supplying Ukraine with glide bombs, and now, with the arrival of Mirage jets, Ukraine can begin launching daily glide bomb sorties against Russian frontlines that are desperately pushing forward.

We should see an uptick in Russian casualties very soon. Glide bombs are a serious threat to infantry, and infantry is all the Russian army really is.