French Minister of Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu opposed the transfer of second-hand Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine.
According to a report by Le Monde, President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic cell had discussed the possibility of deducting Rafale fighter jets, the backbone of the French Air Force, to send them to Ukraine. The proposal, however, met with resistance from Lecornu, who reportedly objected to the idea.
Instead, on June 6, 2024, President Macron announced that France would send Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine and offer training for Ukrainian pilots.
Fin de formation pour les premiers pilotes de chasse ukrainiens formés par l’armée de l’Air et de l’Espace. La première promotion vient d'être macaronnée sur Alphajet. Une formation de six mois répondant à un besoin opérationnel de @DefenceU.@Armees_Gouv @EtatMajorFR @Elysee pic.twitter.com/njZyV4ER6B
— Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (@Armee_de_lair) September 20, 2024
Dassault Aviation developed the Mirage 2000 fighter jet in the 1970s. The 2000-5 is a single-seat air superiority variant of the aircraft. However, the fighters to be transferred to Ukraine will be retrofitted with air-to-ground combat capabilities.
This is not the first time the idea of Rafale fighters being supplied to Ukraine has been raised. Nearly a year before Russia’s invasion, in March 2021, Macron reportedly discussed the potential sale of Dassault Rafale jets to Ukraine during a visit with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, considering it one of his “top priorities.”
Rafale sales impact capabilities of French Air and Space Force
The Rafale, which plays a crucial role in France’s defense strategy, has seen increased demand on the international market, complicating efforts to expand France’s own fleet.
In 2020, then-defense minister Florence Parly set a target to increase the number of Rafale jets in service with the French Air and Space Force (AAE) from 102 to 129 by 2025. However, the fighter’s recent commercial success has delayed fulfilling that goal.
France’s Rafale fleet was reduced following two sales:
- In January 2021, Greece ordered 18 Rafale F3R fighters. To expedite delivery, 12 of these jets were drawn directly from the French Air Force’s existing inventory.
- In May 2021, Croatia followed suit, purchasing 12 used Rafale jets to modernize its air force.
A parliamentary report published in November 2022 revealed that the limited number of available airframes created a concerning training deficit. In 2023, French fighter pilots were expected to fly only 147 hours, compared to 162 hours in 2022. This falls below NATO standards, which mandate that combat pilots should fly a minimum of 180 flight hours annually.
In January 2024, the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) ordered 42 Rafale F4 combat aircraft to address the capability gap resulting from recent sales. The delivery is scheduled to commence in 2027. The French Air and Space Force is anticipated to achieve its initial goal of 130 Rafale fighters no earlier than 2030.
