First official image of one of the Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets transferred by France to the Ukrainian Air Force is released

Since their arrival in Ukraine at the beginning of February, the Ukrainian Air Force’s Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets have maintained a low profile in terms of audiovisual records. This situation is shared with other transferred Western platforms, such as the F-16s, which, for operational security reasons, are only officially photographed; a stark contrast with the abundance of material available of Soviet-origin fighter jets such as the Su-27 and MiG-29. However, as part of Aviation Day commemorations, the official channels of the Ukrainian government and military forces—including that of President Volodymyr Zelensky—published what is, to date, the first official image captured of one of the aircraft transferred by France.

As of now, it is not officially known with certainty what the final number of Mirage 2000-5 aircraft that France is in the process of transferring to Ukraine will be. An estimated figure, based on statements by former Ukrainian government officials such as former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, suggested that Paris could transfer up to a total of 20 units that once served in the French Air and Space Force. Nonetheless, the current number of Mirages transferred remains unknown, though there is official confirmation that one of them was recently lost in combat operations.

Regarding the recently released photograph, it shows one of the transferred M2000-5F aircraft in flight at an undisclosed location. Furthermore, the image—like other partial ones captured in recent months—reveals that the Ukrainian Mirages retain the same paint scheme they wore while serving in the French Air and Space Force, now bearing, of course, the insignia of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Other details visible in the photograph include the presence of two 2,000-liter external fuel tanks, with no weapons carried, although the ventral section of the fuselage shows two pylons intended to mount short-range MICA-IR air-to-air missiles, as well as presumably MICA-EM; armament that may also have been transferred by Paris as part of the deal.

Another notable detail absent is the aircraft’s aerial refueling probe, which may have been removed considering that Ukraine would not have the capacity to conduct in-flight refueling operations with these aircraft.

Finally, no further external details can be observed, leaving most of the modifications and upgrades they have undergone presumably hidden within the fuselage. This is not a minor point, as France has confirmed that the aircraft already transferred and those in the process of being delivered have received work and updates to operate in Ukraine’s challenging and contested theater of operations, where the need for advanced and modernized electronic warfare and self-protection systems is paramount. As indicated, it is presumed that among the equipment fitted on the ex-French Air and Space Force Ukrainian Mirages is the ICMS Mk 3 countermeasures system, present in the export version of the M2000-5.

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