Ukraine will receive modernized Mirage 2000
In June, French President Emmanuel Macron promised that the first Mirage 2000 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine before the end of 2024. However, Kiev will now not receive the attack aircraft until next year.
Ukraine is likely to receive the Mirage 2000-5, the most modernized version of this fighter jet. Photo: Defence Express
On October 8, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that the delivery had been delayed and that France would send the aircraft to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025. This is a much slower pace than Kiev would like. But better late than never. And the consolation for Kiev is that these Mirage 2000s will also be deeply modernized.
In a post on social network X, French Defense Minister Lecornu said the Mirage 2000s delivered to Ukraine would first be upgraded to the latest standards. "In Cazaux, in the Gironde, these planes will be equipped with new equipment: for air and ground combat and for defense against electronic warfare," Lecornu wrote.
France's Dassault Aviation Group has produced around 600 Mirage 2000s, half of which have been exported to eight countries and territories, including Greece, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan (China).
The aircraft is 14.36 meters long, has a wingspan of 9.13 meters, with an empty weight of 7,500 kg, a maximum speed of about 2,400 km/h (Mach 2.2) and a range of 3,300 km with auxiliary fuel tanks.
The Mirage 2000-5 is the most modernized version of this fighter jet, equipped with improved radar and capable of carrying MICA air-to-air missiles. It can also carry SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, which France is also supplying to Ukraine.
The Mirage 2000s delivered to Ukraine can carry air-to-surface missiles with a range of about 70 km. Photo: Defence News
Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of Ukraine's Defense Express magazine, believes that the French aircraft will be a useful addition to the Ukrainian air force. "The first and most important task of the Mirage will be air defense, especially against cruise missile and drone attacks," Katkov told German broadcaster DW.
According to journalist Katkov, the French aircraft will then be able to use long-range weapons, such as the AASM Hammer missile, a smart, all-weather air-to-ground weapon with a range of more than 70 km.
The military analyst added that, as part of the upgrade, it would also make sense to integrate glide bombs into the Mirage 2000-5, such as the US JDAM-ER and SDB, which are being used by Ukraine, to attack ground targets near the front line.
What is the difference between Mirage and F-16?
The Mirage 2000 and the F-16, which Ukraine is also receiving from the West, were developed at the same time, but they differ significantly in both design and capabilities. According to military experts, compared to the American F-16, the Mirage is significantly inferior in air combat capabilities.
"The Mirage 2000-5 does not have long-range air-to-air missiles. It is suitable only for air defense purposes deep in the territory," said journalist Katkov of Defense Express magazine.
The F-16 (left) can carry air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 160 km thanks to its powerful and modern radar, while the Mirage 2000's missiles only have a range of 70 km. Photo: Zvevzda Weekly
The F-16s can carry air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 160 km, while the missiles on the Mirage 2000-5 only reach a range of 60 to 80 km. The Mirage 2000-5 therefore does not have the appropriate weapons to perform over-the-horizon air combat missions.
Kostiantyn Kryvolap, a former engineer for the Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer Antonov, also spoke about these shortcomings. In Kryvolap’s opinion, the radar on the French aircraft has many limitations.
“Even our [Soviet] MiG-29s have better radars than the Mirage 2000,” Kryvolap told the RBC-Ukraine news portal. “The Mirage 2000 is too outdated to be used for air combat. A Russian fighter can easily intercept missiles fired at it by a Mirage 2000.”
How many Mirage 2000s can Ukraine get?
In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said his country’s military needed at least 128 F-16s to compete with the Russian air force. So far, Kiev has only received a few F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands, meaning it is still far from reaching the goal Zelenskyi hoped for.
The French Air Force has just 20 Mirage 2000-5s that will be retired by 2030, and that is the maximum number Ukraine can take. Photo: Bob Sommer
Journalist Oleh Katkov, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian magazine Defense Express, predicts that the West will not be able to supply 70 aircraft to Ukraine by 2027. "In this situation, you have to ask yourself where you will get the necessary number of fighters," Katkov commented.
This gap in numbers is what makes the Mirage 2000 still useful to Ukraine. It is not yet clear how many Paris plans to provide. According to the French defense portal Opex360, the French air force has only 20 Mirage 2000-5s that will be retired by 2030. And that is probably the maximum number of aircraft Ukraine can expect from France.
Therefore, Ukraine does not want to rely only on the F-16 and Mirage 2000. At the end of September, the country's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that, in addition to the aircraft promised to be delivered to Ukraine by Western partners, discussions are currently underway on the possibility of supplying other types of fighters, such as the Swedish-made JAS Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon, a joint venture between several European corporations.
But how to get the above-mentioned advanced fighters has not been mentioned by Ukraine. The planes are not available and buying them requires money. While Kiev cannot decide on both of these conditions - the money to buy the planes as well as the progress of production of new planes.
Nguyen Khanh
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lieu-cuong-kich-mirage-2000-co-tang-cuong-suc-manh-cho-khong-quan-ukraine-post316524.html
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