Although Ukraine has stated a desire for the F-16, the Mirage 2000 fighter is expected to improve its air power.
For further supply to Ukraine, France wants to acquire back the whole fleet of 40 Mirage 2000-9 fighters it sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Paris and Abu Dhabi are presently engaged in active negotiations on this matter, according to French media.
The UAE has not yet disclosed the terms under which it would be willing to resell the Mirage 2000 fighters.
However, if the UAE accepts the French proposal, it is likely that the aforementioned combatants can return to Paris in the fall. However, they are unlikely to join the Ukrainian combatant component before the second half of 2024.
Ukraine hopes to receive about 40 Mirage 2000 fighter jets, according to Intelligence Online’s English-language report. “After a lengthy negotiation process that has weighed heavily on arms brokers working for Kyiv for several weeks,” the report read.
Experts note that Mirage 2000 fighters, although outdated, still pose a serious threat as they can use SCALP and Storm Shadow tactical missiles, not to mention other NATO standard weapons.
In addition, it is not likely that France will immediately transfer all fighters to Ukraine, since the Armed Forces of Ukraine simply do not have a place to store them, and without special shelters, they will easily targets Russian missiles such as the Kalibr, Iskander and Kinzhal.
But the above scenario clearly makes Russia feel afraid, because then the Ukrainian Air Force will have a change in both quality and quantity, this will also open the door for other NATO countries to deliver aircraft to Kyiv.
