France plans to upgrade Mirage 2000-5F jets for Ukraine to help the country strike Russian ground targets, reports French media outlet SudOuest.
This modification of the French aircraft was initially designed and used exclusively as a fighter jet and did not include the capability to use air-to-ground munitions.
However, due to Ukraine’s urgent need for multi-role combat aircraft capable of targeting both air and ground targets, France has decided to adjust some of the Mirage 2000-5F fighters it has pledged for the country.
According to Militarnyi, in early June, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Ukraine would receive the Mirage 2000-5F fighters. At the time, he also revealed that France would organize six-month training courses for Ukrainian pilots to operate the jets.
The Ukrainian Air Force is expected to receive the French Mirage 2000-5F jets by the end of 2024. It is not yet known what weapons the modified aircraft will be able to use for ground strikes. The leading candidate for this role is the French AASM guided bomb, which Ukrainian pilots flying Soviet-era aircraft already have experience using.
It is also possible that the Ukrainian Mirage 2000-5F jets will be adapted to use American precision-guided bombs equipped with JDAM kits, which are currently actively used by the Ukrainian Air Force.
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