Ukraine deploys French outdated Mirage fighter jets attempting to counter Russian Kalibr missiles

The Ukrainian Air Force has used French-supplied Mirage fighter jets in combat for the first time, employing them to counter Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, Ukraine's General Staff said.

Photo: http://www.defenseimagery.mil/imagery.html#guid=c76db9cff7064d8452c34c1dfbac9a249119c522 by Staff Sgt. Michael B. Keller, USAF, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

French fighter jet Mirage 2000

"Fighter aviation was also involved, including F-16 (U.S.-made) and Mirage-2000 aircraft," the department clarified. This marks the first deployment of Mirage jets since their delivery to Ukraine, which took place just a month ago.

Before their final transfer, the French fighter jets were stationed for an extended period at Mińsk Mazowiecki Air Base in Poland. Ahead of their handover, they were repainted, checked for operational readiness, and subjected to final test flights by Ukrainian pilots.

Russian Officials Dismiss Mirage Jets as Ineffective

Despite Ukraine adding Mirage jets to its arsenal, Russian officials and military analysts claim that these aircraft will provide no battlefield advantage. Instead, they argue, their delivery only confirms France's direct involvement in the conflict.

Russian State Duma deputy Leonid Ivlev dismissed the French fighters as "worthless", emphasizing that this aircraft model has not been produced for nearly two decades, making it of little use to Ukraine.

"There is a proverb "Take, for God's sake, my piece of moody cake" which describes France's so-called gift to the Kyiv regime. This is a suitcase without a handle," Leonid Ivlev, Russian State Duma deputy said. 

Mirage jets are severely outdated

The Rostec defense conglomerate also weighed in, stating that the Mirage jets are severely outdated. Experts from the state corporation described them as "mediocre aircraft with very short range," lacking both maneuverability and effective strike capability.

While the aircraft could potentially be used to track cruise missiles or drones, experts say their effectiveness in other roles is extremely limited. The biggest threat they pose comes from their ability to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles. However, Rostec claimed that any Mirage jets appearing on the front lines would be immediately destroyed.

Military Watch Magazine: Mirage Jets Inferior to Russian Fighters

Analysts at Military Watch Magazine also concluded that the Mirage 2000 fighters supplied to Ukraine are significantly inferior to Russian aircraft of the same class.

"Fighters supplied to Ukraine are significantly outmatched by those in the Russian Air Force such as the Su-30SM and Su-35, and as a result they have tended to avoid air to air combat and instead focus on employing long range air to ground ordinance against Russian targets. Mirage 2000s are similarly expected to be employed as elevated launchers for cruise missile attacks, but to operate well behind the frontlines."

Experts further noted that the Mirage is so outdated that it even falls short of Soviet-era Su-27 fighters, which previously formed the backbone of Ukraine's air force. The most notable disadvantages of the Mirage compared to the Su-27 include:

• Shorter flight range;
• Lower payload capacity;
• Inferior radar and avionics.

The Mirage is a light French fourth-generation fighter. France currently has more advanced Rafale jets, but the Mirage aircraft supplied to Ukraine were not of their latest version. The French aIrcraft that Ukraine received is comparable to Russia's MiG-22 or USA's F-16 fighters. Paris transferred only a small number of those fighters to Ukraine, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are using them cautiously. Needless to say that the Russian forces will see Ukraine's French fighters as targets for air defense systems, especially long-range S-400 complexes.

Details

The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine, delta wing, fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a lightweight fighter to replace the Mirage III for the French Air Force (Armée de l'air). The Mirage 2000 evolved into a multirole aircraft with several variants developed, with sales to a number of nations. It was later developed into the Mirage 2000N and 2000D strike variants, the improved Mirage 2000-5, and several export variants. Over 600 aircraft were built and it has been in service with nine nations.