Politics France plans to deliver Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine in early 2025

France will deliver the promised Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2025. The jets are currently being fitted with new equipment, announced French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

This involves air-to-ground combat equipment to be able to carry out air attacks and electronic defense equipment to withstand Russian jamming signals. The training of Ukrainian pilots and mechanics in France will continue.

The minister did not specify the number of Mirage jets that France and other countries want to hand over to Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia, as part of a joint initiative. President Emmanuel Macron promised Ukraine the aircraft at the beginning of June.

The Mirage 2000-5 aircraft are primarily designed for air defense and can also be used to deploy the Franco-British Scalp/Storm Shadow cruise missiles that have already been delivered to Ukraine.

France's air force plans to phase out its fighter jets by 2030 anyway and replace them with modern Rafale jets. France has 40 Mirage 2000-5s, and the aircraft type has also been exported to other countries.