Mirage 2000 for Ukraine: Estimated number of aircraft France will send
Mirage 2000-5 aircraft (wikipedia org)
Following the recent announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the intention to transfer multipurpose Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine, the press has suggested that Paris might send Kyiv no more than half of such fighters currently in service with the French Air Force, citing La Tribune.
The French newspaper article points out that the French military has 26 Mirages in total. Meanwhile, Paris wants to keep a squadron consisting of two dozen aircraft.
Thus, media representatives speculate that France may be willing to transfer around six of its Mirage 2000-5 to the Ukrainian side. However, the publication allows for the possibility that there could be more – up to twelve aircraft. This range is called the most likely by La Tribune.
The newspaper also notes that this Mirage 2000-5 number would be insufficient for Ukraine to enhance its air defense capabilities significantly.
The Mirage 2000-5 aircraft, which were commissioned by the French Air Force in April 1998, are primarily used in the country for air control and air defense missions.
These aircraft have been deployed several times in the Baltic countries for NATO missions.
Besides France, the 2000-5 version of the Mirages, or the more advanced 2000-9 version, are also possessed by Qatar, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to La Tribune, it is possible that Ukraine could receive 25 Greek Mirage 2000-5, but India has already expressed interest in acquiring these fighters.
Mirage 2000 from France for Ukraine
It was reported that on June 6, French leader Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to transfer Mirage 2000 fighters to Ukraine as part of defense aid. However, the president did not reveal the details of this initiative.
Following this, the Ukrainian Air Force responded to Macron's words, stating that Mirage 2000 aircraft could effectively carry out combat missions.
For more details on how the Mirage 2000 could strengthen Ukraine, see the article by RBC-Ukraine.