France is actively considering upgrading its Mirage 2000D multirole fighters to take on a new, specialized mission, the cost-effective destruction of long-range Shahed-type kamikaze drones. The initiative is directly inspired by Ukraine's experience in countering such threats, as confirmed by the Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force, cited by Opex360.
The reasoning behind this modernization is not only linked to Ukraine's lessons but also to France's own security concerns. Russian long-range drones pose an objective threat to French territory, which lies within their operational range if launched from Kaliningrad or Belarus. Although details of the planned upgrade have not been disclosed, one likely option is the integration of Thales' FZ275 LGR 70 mm guided rockets, a weapon currently in high demand due to its effectiveness against small aerial targets.
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This approach would mirror American practice, where similar APKWS guided rockets have been integrated on the F-15 and F-16 fighters. Such a modification allows aircraft to destroy dozens of aerial targets in a single sortie. One F-15E jet, for example, can reportedly engage up to 50 drones per mission using this setup.
However, integrating a new weapon onto a fighter aircraft is far from a simple process. It requires not only physical mounting but also updating the aircraft's fire-control software and electronic systems, a complex and time-consuming procedure. The French experience with the Mirage 2000D fighter's current RMV (Rénovation à Mi-Vie) modernization program illustrates this challenge. Under the RMV program, the aircraft gained compatibility with the MICA IR air-to-air missiles and the CC422 gun pod, but not with the AASM Hammer precision bombs, despite being designed for ground-attack missions.
The Mirage 2000D jet originally emerged in the mid-1990s as a stopgap strike aircraft, developed to fill the gap left by delays in the Rafale program. While the Mirage 2000D aircraft is indeed a multirole platform, each new weapon integration still requires individual engineering work and certification.
The decision to modernize the Mirage 2000D aircraft for an anti-drone role is both logical and cost-effective. France currently operates around 60 Mirage 2000D aircraft, 55 of which are being upgraded to the RMV version. Using these airframes for drone interception tasks would be far more economical than employing France's more advanced and expensive Rafale aircraft, of which there are about 100.
Finally, France's potential modernization of the Mirage 2000D jets with Thales' FZ275 LGR rockets may also be of great interest to Ukraine. Kyiv is expected to receive Mirage 2000F-5 fighters, and a similar upgrade could enhance their effectiveness in countering the persistent drone threat in Ukrainian skies.
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