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The French Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, the first batch of which has been delivered to Ukraine, have the capability to not only intercept Russian missiles but also to strike ground targets with long-range SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles.
French military expert and aeronautics specialist Xavier Tytelman said this in a commentary to Ukrinform.
“First of all, our Mirage 2000s will save lives in the same way as about a dozen F-16s do now. If you look at the level of interception of Russian cruise missiles since July, it has increased by 20 per cent: from 60 per cent of intercepted missiles, the Ukrainians have gone up to 80 per cent,” the expert explained.
According to Tytelman, the main advantage of the French fighter jets modified for Ukraine is their ability to hit targets with long-range SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles.
“The Mirage 2000-5 now has bombing capabilities that it did not have in the French army. The aircraft have been modified to be able to launch SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Today, only old Su-24 fighter jets can do this… So the fact that the Ukrainian Air Force will now have a broader base means that they will increase their striking potential,” he explained.
At the same time, Tytelman underscored that if the Ukrainians had received such capabilities back in 2022, the counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 could have been successful.
“This could also save hundreds of lives and avoid the problem with the energy infrastructure that Russia is consistently destroying. The day Ukraine has a fleet of 30-40-50 aircraft, they will be able to do more. Then they will be able to intercept Russian aircraft, prevent them from dropping their glide bombs, which cause terrible destruction,” he said.
As reported, the day before, the first French Mirage 2000 fighter jets arrived in Ukraine, along with Ukrainian pilots who had undergone several months of training in France.
