They develop a speed of up to 2,700 kilometers per hour, are 14 meters long, and their wingspan is 9 meters: will the French fighters change the "Mirage" the situation on the front in Ukraine and what are the differences between "Mirage" and F-16?
Despite French President Emmanuel Macron's promise to provide a batch of fighters "Mirage 2000" until the end of 2024, Ukraine will not receive the planes in these terms - they will be handed over to Kiev in the first quarter of next year.
Why Ukraine needs the French "Mirage" fighters
According to the specialized publication "Defence News" the French company "Dassault Aviation" has produced about 600 Mirage 2000 aircraft, half of which have been sold to eight countries, including Greece, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan. The length of the combat aircraft is about 14 meters, the wingspan is 9 meters, the weight is 7,500 kilograms, and the maximum speed reaches 2,700 kilometers per hour.
"Mirage 2000-5" is a modernized version of this combat aircraft - with an improved radar and the ability to carry Mica air-to-air missiles, as well as SCALP-EG air-based cruise missiles, which France supplies to Ukraine.
The editor-in-chief of the specialized Ukrainian publication "Defense Express" Oleg Katkov believes that the French aircraft will significantly strengthen the Air Force of Ukraine. "Their first and foremost task is to provide air defense," says the expert.
What does the upgrade include
According to Katkov, as a result of the modernization, French fighters will be able to use long-range bombs - at least the French AASM Hammer with a range of more than 70 kilometers. They are also expected to be able to carry planing munitions such as the American JDAM-ER and SDB, which are already in service with the VSU. They can be used to strike ground targets in close proximity to the front line.
It is also important that the modernized "Mirages" they will also be equipped with more advanced electronic warfare (EW) systems and will be better protected against Russian EW assets. This applies both to the operation of navigation systems and to the on-board radars and communication systems of aircraft.
Since the Soviet Su-24 bombers, which are in service with the Ukrainian army, have been effectively using SCALP and Storm Shadow air-based cruise missiles against Russian ground targets for quite some time, the question of using them and the "Mirage" is of secondary importance, Katkov believes.
The differences between "Mirage" and the F-16
Although "Mirage 2000" and F-16 were developed at the same time, they have significant differences - both in construction and in terms of their technical characteristics and areas of application.
"Mirage 2000-5" does not include long-range air-to-air missiles, but is suitable for providing rear air defense. It is also suitable for launching planning bombs. This is also within the capabilities of the F-16, which, however, can also perform something that the "Mirage" cannot. - to keep enemy aircraft away from their weapon launch zones. The French fighter simply does not have the appropriate armament for this task, explains Katkov: its air-to-air missiles have a range of between 60 and 80 kilometers, and those of the F-16 - up to 160 kilometers.
How many fighter jets can Ukraine get
In July of this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said that the Ukrainian military needed at least 128 F-16 fighter jets to overcome the superiority of the Russians in the skies. So far, Ukraine has received F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, but is still far from achieving the goal announced by Zelensky. As the expert Katkov notes, in the most optimistic scenario, Kyiv can receive a total of about 70 aircraft - and by 2027.
So far, Paris has not named the number of fighter jets it plans to provide to Kyiv. According to data from the French portal "Opex360" the French Air Force has only 20 "Mirage 2000-5" aircraft, which must be decommissioned by 2030. Therefore, the total number of fighters that Ukraine can rely on from France cannot exceed this number.
But the fleet of Ukrainian fighter jets may not be limited to just the F-16 and the "Mirage 2000". At the end of September, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov stated that consultations are also underway for the delivery of two more types of fighters - "Gripen" and "Eurofighter".