France’s aviation magazine “Aviation Legend” revealed that France decided to support Ukraine’s Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets in 2024. After nearly 10 months of preparation, the first batch of Mirage fighter jets is expected to arrive in Ukraine on January 20. However, the initial quantity is not large, likely around 3 to 6 aircraft, equipped with bombs and air-launched cruise missiles, replacing some aging Su-24 fighter-bombers.
Taiwanese audiences are familiar with the Mirage 2000, a single-engine delta-wing multi-role fighter, designed in the same era as the F-16. The Mirage 2000-5F aircraft equipped by the French Air Force only have air-to-air combat capabilities, as the French Air Force’s out-of-area ground attack missions are carried out by the Rafale and Mirage 2000D. However, the export model of the Mirage 2000-5F is capable of launching precision-guided air-to-ground weapons, so modifying these Mirage 2000-5F jets to perform ground attack missions should not be difficult.
French Defense Minister Le Cunot revealed to the media in 2024 that once the Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets received by Ukraine are modified, they will possess comprehensive air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities. They will be able to use Mica air-to-air missiles, Scalp-EG cruise missiles, and Hammer glide bombs, further enhancing their aerial superiority.
With the F-16 and Mirage 2000-5 arriving in Ukraine, the best fighters in the Ukrainian Air Force prior to this were the Soviet-era Su-27 and MiG-29, which still serve as the mainstay of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have not achieved absolute air superiority. How to maintain dominance on the battlefield remains a question of interest. Recently, the Ukrainian Air Force released a rare video showcasing the combat operations of the Su-27 fighter jets over Ukrainian airspace. In this video, a Ukrainian Su-27 pilot nicknamed “Viking” shares his combat experiences.
The video content also includes links to the “Mark Space” Clean World Channel on various platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.