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Key Points and Summary: Ukraine’s Air Force plans to combine incoming French Mirage 2000 jets with American F-16s in a “thunder and lightning” strategy, delivering both ground-strike and aerial-intercept capabilities against Russian forces.

-Officials expect delivery of Mirage 2000s by early 2025, complete with upgraded weaponry such as SCALP air-to-surface missiles. Ukrainian pilots, many of whom already operate older MiG-29s and Su-24s, have spent months learning Mirage 2000 systems and tactics.

-While logistical hurdles—like repair infrastructure, spare parts, and language barriers—remain significant, Kyiv believes this multi-fighter approach could degrade Russia’s air capabilities and potentially drive Moscow toward negotiating a peace settlement.

Ukraine Will Use Mirage 2000 and F-16 Fighters in a Thunder and Lightning Approach

The Ukrainian Air Force is excited. Volodymyr Zelensky’s flyboys will soon receive the French Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter jet that can blast enemy warplanes and destroy targets on the ground in a “thunder and lightning” teaming arrangement with American F-16s. 

The goal is for the French to transfer the Mirage 2000s by February or March 2025.

In October, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu announced this on X. 

“Mirage 2000 bound for Ukraine: delivery still scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. In Cazaux, Gironde, they will be equipped with new equipment: air-ground combat and anti-electronic warfare defense. The training of Ukrainian pilots and mechanics continues,” the minister posted. 

Dozens of Mirage 2000s Are Waiting for Ukrainian Pilots to Be Trained

Ukrainian pilots have been training on the Mirage 2000 since March. Hopefully, some new aviators will speak French or English to speed up the instruction. The exact number of fighters to be transferred is yet to be determined, but the defense ministry has revealed that “dozens” may be on the way. 

The Dassault Rafale is replacing the Mirage 2000 in the French Air Force, and this makes the Mirage available for transfer. The French have used Mirage variants since the 1980s and 1990s, so they are somewhat outdated, but any airplane will help the Ukrainians take the fight to the Russians. France even has some Mirage 2000Cs in storage, which are likely being dusted off and brought back to life for service in Ukraine.

Mirage 2000s and F-16s Will Bring Doom to the Enemy

The Mirage 2000 will have a special teaming arrangement with F-16s already in use with the Ukrainian Air Force. F-16s will have an air-to-air combat mission for dogfighting, and the Mirage 2000 will concentrate on ground strikes with long-range SCALP air-to-surface missiles.

“The Mirages will focus on ground targets, while the F-16s will cover them from above as interceptors and air superiority fighters. MiG-29s and Su-24s will also be integrated into this tactical approach, with the F-16s providing air cover,” Ukrainian test pilot Colonel Oleksandr Lykhodid said according to Euromaidan Press.

Let’s Give the Ukrainian Air Force a Glow Up

That takes the pressure off the Ukrainian Mirage 2000 pilots and will give Zelensky’s Air Force a more manageable mission set. 

The Ukrainians are already flying Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-24 bombers, but they could desperately use some reinforcements due to the aging nature of the legacy jets.

The Ukrainian Air Force believes that the older Mirage 2000s coming out of storage may disadvantage the Su-35 and Su-30SM. These Russian jets may have the edge in a dogfight against the less-advanced Mirage 2000. 

NATO F-16. Image Credit: NATO Flickr.

However, some Ukrainians are excellent pilots, and they could take the Mirage 2000 easily. The French fighters should not necessarily be playing the support ground strike role for the entirety of the war. I like how the Ukrainians plan to take on the Russians in this teaming arrangement. 

By Spring 2025, the Ukrainian Air Force will be ready to rip. They could also receive other fighters from Western allies, such as the JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden, although that transfer is not assured. 

Can the Ukrainians Perform Maintenance on a Wide Range of Airplanes?

One thing that concerns me about the foreign aircraft pouring into Ukraine is conducting maintenance and repairs, plus acquiring spare parts. These airplanes are finicky, and Ukrainian crews need to be trained on their intricacies. Technical manuals must be translated, and things sometimes get lost in translation. The Ukrainians have learned to maintain ground vehicles, but modern airplanes are different altogether.

The French also must clean the cobwebs off the older Mirage 2000s in storage. There will be a delay in getting the communications systems and avionics up to standard. Plus, the SCALP missiles will be new to Ukrainian ground crews responsible for deploying the munitions. 

The pilots also need time to fly together in the teaming arrangement described above. The war is going on year three, and the Ukrainian air force has done an excellent job denying the Russians air superiority. The transition to the American F-16s has been slow, however. The Ukrainian pilots have been training on the Mirage 2000 for around seven to eight months, and they should be ready for that ground strike role. 

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a mission in the skies near Iraq on March 22, 2003 during Operation Iraqi freedom. The plane is armed with HARM missiles. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a mission in the skies near Iraq on March 22, 2003 during Operation Iraqi freedom. The plane is armed with HARM missiles.

This thunder and lightning teaming arrangement between the F-16s and the Mirage 2000s should work well enough. We will have to see how it can make a difference in a war that has dragged on and devolved into a stalemate on the ground. 

Suppose Zelensky is forced into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin. In that case, it will likely be the air force that sends the Russians to the bargaining table, hopefully with the Russian fighters degraded enough that Moscow sues for peace.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.