France is Sending Ukraine the French Mirage Fighter to Alleviate F-16 Woes
Vive la France!
In Ukraine’s fight for its skies, the delivery of Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France has emerged as a potentially iterative, if not entirely flawless, development.
Here’s my quick take: More is certainly better for Ukraine. But the Mirage is not nearly as capable as the F-16, or even the Swedish Gripen or Eurofighter Typhoon. Having said that, it is still better than Ukraine’s aging MiG fleet.
Still… With logistical roadblocks and training bottlenecks stalling the integration of American F-16s, France’s offer to provide both aircraft and training brings a welcome boost to Ukraine’s airpower, though, as we’ll see, not without its challenges.
Also, keep your eyes on France. Its pledge to supply Mirage 2000 jets represents an ongoing leadership shift in Europe.
If Germany won’t step up to assume Europe’s leadership role, France is showing that it is willing to try. And if not France, then Poland is downright chomping at the bit to rise.
Personally, I think 2025 is Europe’s moment to shine and rise to take a leadership position on the world stage. As an American, I suspect we’re going to be out of the fight for a while as we deal with our own internal dysfunction…
