The first batch of Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France for Ukraine, which is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2025, allegedly consists of only three aircraft. However, it is important to emphasize that Paris has never specified how many of these jets will be supplied to Ukraine or when.
The information about the three fighters comes from the sources of the French publication La Tribune. However, Defense Express reminds us that a few weeks ago, the same publication reported that Ukraine would likely receive 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighters.
Read more: French Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets to Reach Ukraine by Early 2025, What’s the Reason of Delay Again
At the same time, this figure was obtained based on insider information and assumptions. Allegedly, Paris wanted to keep 20 out of the 26 available aircraft. However, the transfer of only six fighters did not match the ambitions of French President Emmanuel Macron, unlike 12, which would form a full Ukrainian squadron.
At the same time, even if we are talking about just three Mirage 2000-5 aircraft, as noted, this is still only the first batch. The number of aircraft in this batch depends not only on the availability of planes or the fact that they are undergoing modernization with important upgrades but also on the number of Ukrainian pilots and technicians who have completed training.
Ultimately, pilots for the Air Force's F-16 are being trained at two centers, in Denmark and the U.S. Based on available information, the first group of pilots was not large, as Western media reported that Ukraine initially received only six fighters. Meanwhile, France is training pilots and technicians for the Mirage 2000-5 independently.
According to reports, they are training at the airbase in Nancy (likely the 133 Nancy-Ochey). This detail is significant because it is not a training airbase. The French Air Force's pilot school is located in Cognac (709 Cognac-Châteaubernard). Moreover, the 133rd airbase in Nancy is the home base of the 3rd Fighter Wing, which operates Mirage 2000D aircraft.
However, two squadrons of Mirage 2000-5 are based at other airbases: 1/2 Cigognes at Luxeuil-les-Bains (116 Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur) and 3/11 Corse in Djibouti. This indicates that the training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians has been specially organized.
It's also important to add that the 3rd Fighter Wing of the French Air Force has extensive modern combat experience, having participated in operations in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali. While this is not directly comparable to the realities of repelling russian aggression, it is the most significant real combat experience within France's air forces.
Read more: Ukraine Will Get More Fighters Than Announced: 200 Pilots Have Graduated UK Courses
