France has delivered new MICA air-to-air missiles and 30mm ammunition for Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine. This was stated in a press release from France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans’ Affairs following a meeting between the head of the French ministry, Catherine Vautrin, and Ukraine’s Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara.
At the same time, the release does not specify either the quantity of ammunition delivered or the date of the transfer.
MICA (Missile d’Interception, de Combat et d’Autodéfense) is a French multi-role air-to-air missile produced by MBDA and used to equip Mirage 2000-5 and Rafale fighters. It comes in two main variants: the MICA IR with an infrared seeker and the MICA EM with a radar seeker. The missile is designed both for beyond-visual-range air combat and for engaging targets at shorter distances. It weighs about 112 kg, can reach speeds of up to Mach 4.9, and can hit targets at ranges of up to 60–80 km.
Mirage 2000 fighters also have two 30mm DEFA 554 aircraft cannons, with 125 rounds for each. The guns use 30×113 mm ammunition, and the rate of fire, depending on the mode, is about 1,200–1,800 rounds per minute.
As the outlet Militarnyi notes, onboard cannons and short-range missiles are a practical solution for combating Russian cruise missiles and Geran strike drones, as they make it possible to preserve expensive long-range missiles for more complex targets.
France and Ukraine are also in talks over the potential purchase by Kyiv of French Rafale fighter jets. France’s Ministry of Defence said that, to implement this, they also plan to привлечь European financing under the Ukraine Support Loan in 2026–2027.
France delivered the first Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine in early 2025. For their effective use, Ukrainian pilots underwent several months of training in France. Mirage 2000s have powerful radars and weapons, including high-precision Magic-2 missiles. This makes it possible to detect and neutralise low-observable cruise missiles and strike drones such as Shahed, Geran and Gerbera effectively. They can also neutralise enemy operational-tactical-level reconnaissance assets.