“According to unofficial data, we are to receive about 20 Mirage aircraft”
Mr Romanenko, France promised to deliver the first Mirage 2000-5F aircraft to Ukraine by the end of March. These fighters will join the fleet of foreign aircraft in the Ukrainian Air Force. How many Western aircraft have we received since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion?
The aircraft were delivered in several stages. The first to arrive were old Soviet MiG-29 fighters from Slovakia and Poland, as well as Su-25 attack aircraft from North Macedonia. Ukraine had previously sold four Su-25s to North Macedonia, and now they have been returned to us. We have not yet received all the aircraft from Poland, so the total number fluctuates, but we can confirm that Ukraine has acquired at least two dozen Soviet-made combat aircraft.
Later, the Fighter Coalition was established, securing a commitment of 73 American F-16 fighters. Some of these, being two-seaters, were allocated to the Romanian Air Force for the European F-16 Training Centre. In reality, Ukraine will receive just over 60 aircraft. So far, three batches of six aircraft each have been delivered – 18 F-16s in total – though one was lost in a plane crash, leaving 17 operational aircraft. This information has been reported in the media.
Additionally, Ukraine has been informed about the transfer of three French Mirage aircraft. Footage of the Mirage 2000-5F in Ukrainian airspace has already emerged. Its distinctive triangular wing makes it easily recognisable, so these aircraft are confirmed to be in operation. The specifics of their deployment remain classified.
According to unofficial data from the commercial magazine French Aviation Legends, Ukraine is expected to receive around 20 Mirage aircraft.
The aircraft already delivered have been upgraded to carry French SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Hammer cruise bombs. To accommodate this, a pylon from the Mirage 2000D has been installed under the fuselage, enabling the aircraft to carry one missile. The bombs – either two or four – are suspended under the wings.
The older Soviet Su-24M bomber can carry two SCALP missiles, whereas the Mirage can carry only one. This means that completing the same mission requires twice as many Mirage aircraft, as the missiles cannot be launched individually. To ensure a successful strike, at least four missiles are needed – one may be damaged, another destroyed, and two more intercepted by Russian air defence. It is crucial to remember that Ukraine is not fighting Uganda but a country with a vast number of anti-aircraft systems.
The Mirage is not the latest Western fighter jet. How is it better than the Su-24 bombers?
You must understand that these are not new aircraft and are almost the same age as ours. They are modernised machines that have been in production since the early 1980s. Su-24s have complex airframe elements, such as pivoting cantilever assemblies, due to their variable-geometry wings. Most Su-24Ms were grounded in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ukraine has slightly upgraded the MiG-29 and Su-27, and modernised the Su-25 to some extent, but has not yet upgraded the Su-24M. In contrast, the Mirage has undergone continuous improvements to its onboard equipment.
Speed and altitude are no longer the key factors in modern air combat. The most important aspects are radar capabilities, weaponry, and onboard defence systems. The Mirage’s radar can detect targets up to 130 kilometres away at high altitude. For low-altitude targets, the range drops to 35-37 kilometres due to ground reflections affecting the radar beam. The aircraft can track eight targets simultaneously and guide missiles towards four of them. It is armed with both medium- and short-range missiles. However, close-range dogfights are a thing of the past – modern air combat takes place beyond visual range, with targets engaged from distances of 40 kilometres or more.
Russian aircraft, armed with R-37M, R-37, and R-33 missiles, have shot down Ukrainian planes from distances of 200-250 kilometres.
The newer French Rafale fighter jets are already equipped with Meteor missiles, capable of hitting targets up to 200 kilometres away. However, adapting these missiles to the Mirage is pointless, as its radar has a maximum range of only 120-130 kilometres.
Why did the F-16 delivery face nearly a year-long delay (officially due to pilots’ lack of English), while there were no such issues with the Mirage, which we received within six months?
It is not about language. All pilots flying NATO military aircraft are fluent in English, as all commands in NATO’s air defence system are issued in English. It is similar to how Soviet pilots had to know Russian regardless of their nationality. That is why Ukrainian pilots were also trained in English during their training in France – it is a NATO standard.
If we have received the Mirage, is there a chance of getting the latest French fighter jet, the Rafale? What advantages would it offer?
I do not think we will receive them in the near future. The issue is that relatively few Rafale jets have been produced, making it difficult to find “extra” aircraft to supply to Ukraine. Additionally, France and Dassault have not shown a willingness to significantly accelerate production – there is already a nine-year backlog of orders. While expanding production capacity is possible, the question remains: what will be done with that capacity once Ukraine’s contract ends?
For now, the Rafale is not a realistic option. Until Ukraine has fully mastered the most basic Western aircraft, such as the Mirage and F-16, we can only dream of acquiring the Rafale, Eurofighter, or other advanced jets.
"F-16s have not yet been used directly near the contact line"
How are our F-16 fighters used? Do they fly to the front line, or are they still performing air defence missions only?
A video showing F-16s in Ukrainian skies was recently posted by someone not particularly smart. It revealed a weapons depot containing short- and medium-range missiles, as well as a jamming station. One missile was missing from the aircraft, making it clear that this was a training flight rather than a combat mission. The pilot was practising operations under extreme conditions, including bomb deployment and asymmetric suspension. At present, F-16s are primarily being used for air defence while pilots undergo intensive training to strike ground targets. In other words, these aircraft are not yet operating directly near the front line.
Our Falcons have been equipped with the most advanced European onboard defence system, featuring American software tailored specifically for the Russian-Ukrainian war. This system takes into account the radiation parameters of Russian air defence systems and aircraft, enabling it to analyse enemy signals and generate radio interference at the correct frequency. As a result, it can disrupt missile guidance and blind enemy radars.
In the summer, we received F-16 fighters in the European MLU version. Which classic modification (Block 20-72) do they correspond to?
In American classification, they correspond to Block 50-52. If necessary, any F-16 model can be upgraded to the latest Block 70-72 version. While it is not a fifth-generation fighter like the F-35 or F-22, it remains a highly advanced aircraft. However, upgrading requires political will from the US government, sufficient funding, and overcoming the long queue of countries awaiting modernisation.
A key feature of this upgrade is a fundamentally new radar with a phased-array antenna. Unlike traditional rotating radars, this antenna remains stationary while scanning its surroundings at incredible speed. Russia claims its radar can detect targets at 300 kilometres, while our F-16s have a range of 120-130 kilometres. Unfortunately, Russia now possesses aircraft that are more advanced than some NATO models.
What kind of radar do our MiG-29s have?
These are no longer classic Soviet fighters. We have upgraded them, equipping certain versions with R-27 missiles capable of flying up to 120 kilometres. As a result, their radar systems had to be enhanced to provide at least 100 kilometres of guidance – comparable to the range of F-16 and Mirage radars.
However, a crucial difference remains. Our MiG-29s use semi-active radar guidance, meaning the missile must remain illuminated by the aircraft’s radar throughout its flight, preventing it from leaving the beam. This forces the aircraft to maintain a steady course in the same direction. In contrast, Western aircraft follow a “fire-and-forget” principle. Once a pilot launches a missile, the onboard computer calculates the target’s range and expected movement. If the enemy aircraft changes course, the radar adjusts the missile’s trajectory via a side beam, continuously updating the interception point.
This does not mean the missile is truly “fired and forgotten”. Rather, it moves more like a car responding to steering adjustments than a tram that must follow fixed tracks.
F-16s were expected to push Russian bombers and fighters away from the front line. This did not happen because the Falcons arrived without the Link 16 data transmission system. Is this a disaster?
No, it is not a disaster – just a limitation of our current capabilities. These aircraft were actually delivered with the latest version of Link 16.
What does that mean? Simply put, Link 16 is a military “Internet” that provides a real-time tactical picture of the battlefield. It allows pilots to see exactly what command headquarters sees: radar data, radio intelligence, army reconnaissance, satellite feeds, reports from other aircraft, and information from ground forces – all displayed directly on the fighter’s screen. The pilot does not need to be verbally alerted to enemy aircraft taking off; he can see them and react immediately.
Without Link 16, information about the battlefield cannot be transmitted directly to the fighter’s screen. Instead, it must be relayed through standard radio communications. This means that instead of instantly visualising the situation, pilots must rely on lengthy verbal briefings.
Perhaps the situation will improve with the Gripen, as these jets use Sweden’s own advanced system instead of Link 16. However, Sweden has not yet provided us with theirs.
“Most likely, we will receive Czech Gripens this year”
In May 2024, Sweden promised to provide us with two DLRV aircraft. In October, it was announced that it would transfer equipment for a squadron (14 units) of JAS-39 Gripen fighters. As the famous American cryptographer Joseph Rochfort used to say: if your neighbours book a restaurant, hire a photographer, and buy flowers, it is highly likely they are planning a wedding. How likely is it that Ukraine will receive Gripens this year?
I think the situation could be similar to the one with the Mirages. It took six months from President Macron’s announcement to the first aircraft arriving in Ukraine. Back in 2000, I had the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of a Gripen and familiarise myself with its onboard equipment: three monitors, a sight projected onto the windscreen, and a helmet-mounted targeting system. The aircraft is armed with AMRAAM missiles, which have a maximum range of 160 kilometres if they are the latest AIM-120C-8 model. The Meteor missile is expected to be adapted for Western aircraft between 2027 and 2029.
In addition, we will once again receive the earliest Gripen models, which are on par with our F-16s and Mirages. These planes will not be able to compete with Russian aircraft due to their outdated radar systems.
The most likely scenario is that we will receive Czech Gripens, which the Czech Republic leased from Sweden. Hungary, on the other hand, will retain its Gripens. If we receive these Swedish fighters, they will have the same functionality as our current F-16s: air defence, ground strikes, and radar capabilities.
As for the long-range radar detection aircraft, they will not significantly enhance our attack capabilities. Due to the threat of long-range Russian missiles, they will not fly closer than 300 kilometres to the front line. Their detection range for bombers is 400 kilometres, while for fighter jets, it is generally around 300 kilometres. If Russian aircraft operate at low altitudes, these radar planes simply will not detect them.
In practice, they will be most useful during cruise missile and Shahed drone attacks. This is where their information will be invaluable, as they will provide monitoring rather than just surveillance over most of Ukraine. Instead of relying on fragmented data from ground-based radars, we will have a real-time picture of a cruise missile’s entire flight path thanks to an airborne surveillance aircraft.
So we won’t have the latest Meteor air-to-air missile until the end of the war?
No, we won’t. This missile is still not fully adapted for European aircraft. While production is actively underway, integrating the necessary components into the aircraft’s avionics is a complex process that remains slow-moving.
To what extent can the Gripen be called a multifunctional fighter?
It is 100% multifunctional, with the only exception being the reconnaissance variant. If a reconnaissance flight is planned, a technician simply removes one memory card and inserts another. A reconnaissance pod is attached, and the aircraft is ready for the mission. Conversely, when a fighter-bomber is needed instead of a reconnaissance aircraft, the reconnaissance card is removed, another is inserted, and the appropriate weapons – such as guided bombs and a laser precision-guidance system – are installed.
Can our industry produce missiles for Western aircraft? To help ourselves at least a little bit in this war?
We have a pretty good missile, the R-27, which has a range of 120 kilometres. It has a navigation system and developed homing heads that allow it to fly in a "fire and forget" mode. Of course, we will not have the same range as the latest AMRAAM missile models, but it is better than the Mirage with MICA missiles. And it's better than the old AMRAAM missile models with a range of 80 kilometres that we were given for F-16 fighters. That is, we can replace American weapons at this level.
The rest requires a lot of money. To give you an idea, each design bureau (both Luch and Pivdenne) is asking for half a billion for the future Ukrainian air defence system to start with. Missile research is a very expensive thing.