France to give Ukraine six Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets, not three - MP Gilletti
France may provide Ukraine with six Mirage 2000-5F fighters instead of three. In total, the country plans to supply up to 20 such aircraft.
This was announced by MP Frank Gilletti in his budget report on "training and use of air forces," Censor.NET reports citing Zone Militaire.
The exact timing of the supply of the fighter jets is still unknown. It is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2025.
It is noted that the relevance of the Mirage transfer will depend on the number of aircraft.
"Six Mirage 2000-5Fs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine along with a full support package," the agency quoted Gilletti as saying.
According to him, the possibilities of transferring these aircraft to Ukraine are limited, in particular, by the pace of deliveries of new Dassault Rafale fighter jets to France.
What is known about Mirage 2000 aircraft for Ukraine
The Mirage 2000 is a fourth-generation French multi-role, single-engine jet fighter aircraft with a low-slung triangular wing, developed by Dassault Aviation in the 1970s.
The main combat aircraft of the French Air Force, adopted by the armies of several countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Earlier, Censor.NET reported that French leader Emmanuel Macron officially announced that his country would provide Ukraine with Mirage 2000 fighters. He also announced the start of training and maintenance of these aircraft.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also said that the first Mirage 2000 fighters would be delivered in early 2025.
French media reported that France would hand over the first batch of three Mirage 2000 fighters to Ukraine in early 2025.
