Zelenskyi outlines prospects for Ukraine to receive Mirage 2000 aircraft: how it will help in the war with Russia

The Ukrainian Armed Forces may be reinforced with French Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters. Negotiations on the planes were held by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi during the visit of French leader Emanuel Macron to Ukraine.

The head of state announced this at a press conference at the "Ukraine. Year 2024". "Yes, we talked about airplanes," Zelenskyi said briefly, answering a question about the possibility of France providing Ukraine with Mirage 2000 aircraft.

It is worth noting that the Mirage-2000D aircraft is a regular carrier of SCALP-EG, Storm Shadow, and TAURUS cruise missiles, as well as other airborne weapons. Instead, Ukrainian aircraft still need to be modernized for this purpose, which takes too much time. Therefore, when it comes to the possible reinforcement of our Su-24M with Mirage-2000D aircraft, this may indicate an intention to increase the number of platforms for the use of Western guided missiles in the Ukrainian Air Force.

What is known about the Mirage-2000?

The French Mirage-2000 is a single-seat, multi-role fighter aircraft developed by the French company Dassault Aviation. Officially commissioned in 1984, the Mirage-2000 has become the main aircraft of the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) and other military formations.

On the battlefield, French Mirage-2000C aircraft can be used for:

• Air patrolling: The Mirage-2000C can be used to conduct air patrols over conflict areas, detect and defend against enemy aircraft and drones.
• Attacks on ground targets: The aircraft can be used to conduct air strikes against important enemy targets on the ground, such as military strongholds, artillery positions, command posts, etc.
• Protection against air threats: Mirage-2000Cs are capable of conducting air-to-air combat and repelling attacks from enemy aircraft and missiles. They can protect other air and ground forces from airborne threats.
• Reconnaissance: Aircraft can be used to conduct reconnaissance over enemy territory, gather intelligence, and detect enemy troop movements.
• Supporting ground operations: The Mirage-2000C can provide support to ground forces by conducting air strikes on enemy positions during ground combat operations.

The aircraft is equipped with modern electronic navigation systems, radar, target detection systems, and electronic onboard avionics, which increases the effectiveness of combat missions.

The aircraft has a sleek and ergonomic design that improves aerodynamic performance and maneuverability. It is equipped with a powerful engine that allows it to reach high speeds.

To summarize, the Mirage-2000C is a high-performance and multifunctional fighter aircraft characterized by high maneuverability, efficiency in air operations, and reliability in combat missions.

Last March, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecorneuil said that Paris was considering the possibility of transferring the first batch of the country's main combat aircraft, the Mirage 2000, to Ukraine. French instructors are also ready to conduct a training program for our pilots in the skies over Warsaw, in agreement with Poland.

After that, the media reported that Ukrainian pilots in France were learning to fly Mirage 2000 multi-role fighters developed by Dassault Aviation. About 30 of our military were allegedly undergoing accelerated training. However, the Ukrainian Air Force denied this information.

Meanwhile, rumors continued to circulate that France plans to buy about 40 fourth-generation Mirage 2000-9 fighters from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and transfer them to Ukraine.

Last September, the spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yurii Ihnat, noted that the French Mirage 2000 attack aircraft that Paris is ready to give to Kyiv will not be able to replace the multifunctional fighters that our pilots need to gain air superiority. On the contrary, Russian air defense can simply destroy them.

In early February 2024, it was reported that France was decommissioning some of its Dassault Mirage 2000D aircraft – about 20 units. It is possible that these fighter-bombers could be transferred to Ukraine.

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