French Mirage 2000 jets heading to Ukraine to be equipped with Storm Shadow and MICA Missiles
Source : The War Zone
France announced it will deliver three of its Dassault Mirage 2000 multi-role aircraft to Ukraine in the first half of 2025, according to the Ukrainian Defense Post news outlet, citing French media. It is the first tranche of an undisclosed number of the jets France said it will give to Ukraine.
“The Mirage 2000s that will be delivered to Ukraine will be equipped with new equipment,’ French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in an interview with Bordeaux-based news agency Sud Ouest,” Defense Post reported. “This transformation operation will take place at the Cazaux base in Gironde. The aim is to equip them with air-to-ground combat capabilities and strengthen their electronic warfare system.”
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| Three French Mirage 2000 fighters are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine by next March. (Photo by ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images) |
As we suggested back in June, it’s now confirmed that the jets will be armed with versions of the MICA beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, as well as the stealthy SCALP-EG cruise missile and the Hammer rocket-assisted precision-guided bomb, according to the French La Tribune news outlet. This is in addition to their 30mm cannons. “But the most important thing is the training of pilots and mechanics, which is continuing in Nancy,” Lecornu added.
An unknown number of Mirage 2000s are being upgraded right now for Ukraine, which will also include enhancements to their electronic warfare suite.
Earlier this month, we reported that France announced details of its plans to put surplus Mirage fighters into Ukrainian hands. The delta-winged jet is set to become the second Western-made fighter to be provided to Kyiv, following the F-16, the first of which arrived in Ukraine this summer.
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