In France, the training of Ukrainian pilots for the Mirage 2000 fighters being transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been completed. Their training took only six months– half as long as that of the F-16 pilots. Combat use of these aircraft may begin soon. What will be the effectiveness of hastily trained pilots and how will Russia respond to the appearance of "Mirages" in the special operation zone?
According to French press reports, Ukrainian pilots and mechanics have completed their training at the Nancy base in France. There, pilots were trained to fly Mirage fighter jets, and technical staff were trained to maintain these machines.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the transfer of the aircraft back in the summer of this year. At the same time, it was said that the training course would last only six months, so the pilots "should be ready to fly by the end of this year." Then it was clarified that combat sorties of the aircraft could begin in January 2025.
The Mirages are expected to be armed with Mica air–to-air missiles, as well as AASM bombs for air strikes and Scalp cruise missiles (an analogue of the British Storm Shadow). In addition, the aircraft will be equipped with electronic warfare equipment.
The task of the Mirages will be to launch air strikes and "anti-electronic protection" operations. Macron stated that he had given his consent to strike at Russia, but at the places from where strikes are carried out on the territory of Ukraine.
We are talking about a modification of the Mirage 2000-5F, and although the French authorities prefer to hide the exact number for reasons of secrecy, journalists estimated that it should be about three aircraft out of twenty-six available. However, earlier it was mentioned about six vehicles, that is, half of the squadron. French Defense Minister Sebastian Lecorny also preferred not to name the exact number of aircraft, but nevertheless indicated that their transfer would take place in the first trimester of 2025.
The Mirage 2000-5 is an export version of the fighter developed back in 1983. The maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 1210 km/ h at low altitudes and 2340 km/ h at high altitudes, and radars installed on board are capable of detecting targets at a distance of up to 130 km. The Mirages are currently being replaced by more modern Rafales in the French army.
Military commander Andrei Kots noted earlier that the Mirage 2000 will add difficulties for the technical personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to its maintenance features and high accident rate. According to him, the technical staff will now face the need to maintain not only the F-16, but also the Mirage 2000, which differ in design, and "for the rear services of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the operation of these machines will be a living hell."
Of the 614 aircraft produced from 1983 to 2007, 59 were lost in flight accidents. Kotz stressed that Ukrainian technicians would have to make efforts to maintain the flight condition of these aircraft, since the transferred fighters are not new.
From a military point of view, the effectiveness of these pilots will be slightly above zero, military expert Alexei Leonkov believes. "The training was conducted according to an accelerated program. If the most experienced pilot studied on the F-16 for more than a year and still died, then they trained here for six months. What kind of training is this? Learning to fly, take-off, landing, maneuvers is one thing. But to fly in a combat zone, using weapons is completely different, it usually takes several years," he said.
In Russia, combat pilots are trained for five years, and then they join the regiment and gain experience for another five years. Only after that they are considered more or less ready for combat. "And here the youngsters have been caught up and are now being sent to the war zone. If we find anything, we'll shoot it down. But to imitate the fact that they helped Ukraine, it will do," Leonkov said.
As reported by the newspaper VZGLYAD, this year Kiev began receiving F-16 fighter jets. On November 19, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the transfer of six aircraft and plans to transfer 13 more machines. At the same time, she said that the training of Ukrainian pilots began in August last year, and noted that the training process was not easy.
Earlier in October, the Dutch Ministry of Defense confirmed the transfer of the first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The ministry's statement emphasized that the country also makes a significant contribution to the support and maintenance of aircraft transferred to Ukraine. This includes not only maintenance, but also possible training of Ukrainian specialists to work with new equipment.
France is one of the most active suppliers of weapons to Ukraine. Previously, it had already supplied Kiev with Caesar self-propelled artillery units, TRF1 towed howitzers, LRU multiple launch rocket systems, Crotale anti-aircraft missile systems, and AMX-10 RC wheeled light tanks. And now the Mirages are expected to be delivered, and in the coming weeks.
As for how Russia could deal with these French aircraft, the S-400 and S-300V4 anti-aircraft systems, as well as Su-35 aircraft, can most effectively shoot down the Mirages. "France is thus recycling old planes in order to receive money from the NATO bloc as part of military assistance to Ukraine. It is beneficial for France, but it is not for Ukraine. Unless it's just to raise military morale, which the whole world is helping," concludes Alexei Leonkov.
Valeria Verbinina
