Ukraine will not be able to exchange its Soviet fighter jets for Western aircraft overnight, and French military aircraft can coexist with American and Soviet models, the army chief said this Sunday, January 14, in the Ukrainian air
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev has been pushing its Western allies to supply it with increasingly sophisticated weapons and ammunition, including armored vehicles, tanks, long-range missiles and American F-16 fighter jets.
The first F-16s are expected to arrive in Ukraine sometime in 2024, but their impact on the war could be limited by the strength of the Russian air force. Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said that in addition to the American A-10s, Mirages from the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault could also enter service in Ukraine.
“Therefore, in addition to the F-16s, MiG-29s will also be used in the air, and it is possible that the combat capabilities of the Su-24M bombers will be improved by Mirage-2000D, while the combat capabilities of the Su-25 attack bombers will be improved. “Amplified by the A-10 Thunderbolt II,” he added in a message posted on Telegram.
Multi-role fighter aircraft
The Mirage 2000 is a fourth generation multi-role fighter aircraft. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a September conversation with President Emmanuel Macron that he had reached a “very important agreement on training (his) pilots in France.”
France does not have the F-16 model that Denmark and the Netherlands recently promised Ukraine, but is equipped with the Rafale fighter jet and its predecessor, the Mirage 2000.