French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets might be delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force sooner than initially expected, according to Gaël Veyssière, the Ambassador of the French Republic to Ukraine. Veyssière said it might take several more months to complete the training of pilots and technicians, pointing to a possibility of the aircraft itself arriving much earlier as a result.
"You understand, despite our desire to do this as soon as possible, there are certain time limits that cannot be shortened. It is about the training of pilots and maintenance personnel for these planes, we are talking about several months," Veyssière mentioned, as quoted by Ukrinform.
Read more: Ukraine Did Not Put JAS 39 Gripen Supply on Hold, Kyiv Assures
The exact number of Mirage 2000-5 fighters to be transferred remains undisclosed, and Veyssière refused to elaborate on the topic. "All this is happening in close coordination with the military leadership of Ukraine," he stressed, referring to the transfer of Mirage.
Defense Express reminds that the commitment to supply these fighters was first announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on June 6, noting that the training for pilots and technicians would span six months, starting soon. With that in mind, it's unclear if the ambassador implied the remaining five months are just "a few" that's left or whether he meant the training is progressing faster than anticipated.
French media had initially reported in March 2023 that Ukrainian pilots were training on the Mirage 2000, which was denied by the Ukrainian Air Force Command at the time. The topic resurfaced officially in late February 2024 during a French Senate parliamentary session discussing the prospects of supplying these jets to Ukraine.
The French Air Force currently has 27 Mirage 2000-5 fighters and 7 two-seater Mirage 2000B trainer jets, although not all are operational. Therefore, media sometimes report the number of available fighters as 20. These aircraft were planned for decommissioning, but the exact timeline of withdrawal from service was not made public.
France has also spearheaded the creation of a "Mirage 2000 coalition," although only a few countries, such as Greece, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, and Peru, have the capability to contribute, likely focusing on spare parts rather than operational aircraft.
Earlier, Defense Express discussed what the Mirage 2000-5 fighters can and cannot do, as well as whether it's possible to modernize the French fighters prior to sending them to Ukraine.
Read more: Mirage 2000-5: What the French Fighter Can and Cannot Do, A Sober Glance Without Exaggeration
