Kyiv eyes French Mirage 2000Ds to bolster Ukraine's air forces
In recent weeks, the potential transfer of French fighter jets to Ukraine has enlivened discussions. Expectations among Ukrainians were raised not least by the chairman of the French defense commission, who while on a trip to the UK, remarked that France does not rule out supplying combat aircraft to Ukraine. Forbes magazine recently published an article suggesting that this transaction could indeed take place. However, the pressing query is which version of French fighters would be used against the Russians?
Could the Mirage 2000D be headed for Ukraine?
Forbes publication also features quotes from the commander of the Ukrainian air forces. Mykola Olekschuk made it clear that "there is a possibility that the combat capabilities of the Su-24M bombers will be bolstered by the Mirage 2000D". According to reports from the French media, Mirage 2000Ds will be one of the subjects on the table during the forthcoming meeting between the French and Ukrainian Presidents.
The comments from the Ukrainian official, along with the reports from French sources, hold significant value since the earlier speculation was associated with the Mirage 2000, not the Mirage 2000D, marking a key distinction.
The Mirage 2000D is a twin-seat, assault version of the French aircraft and was developed from the Mirage 2000N model that was introduced in the '90s. It has an additional Antilope-5 radar for tracking terrain, night vision goggles, and the Sabre electronic warfare (EW) system.
Mirage 2000D features a diverse range of weaponry
An element that could prove crucial in the negotiations between Paris and Kyiv is that the Mirage 2000D is able to carry a large variety of weapons. It is designed to transport AASM and GBU bombs as well as SCALP-EG cruise missiles, which Ukraine receives regularly from France, not forgetting the British Storm Shadow that offers similar capabilities.
Over the past years, France has decommissioned successive batches of the Mirage 2000 aircraft, yet this has not involved Mirage 2000D variants. This raises a few questions among observers, though it doesn't necessarily mar the chances of transferring such craft to Ukraine. They could ideally serve to enhance not just the aforementioned Su-24M bombers but also the F-16 fighters due to be dispatched to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
