Ukraine awaits Mirage 2000 jets, in talks about Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has an agreement to receive Dassault Mirage 2000 jets. He didn't provide a timeline.

According to the minister, Ukraine is in talks to acquire Swedish-made Saab JAS 39 Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.

"Soon we'll have results to announce," Umerov said during an interview aired on national TV on Sept. 22.

"We worked last year on pilot training, on building all the necessary infrastructure, and this year we will focus on how to scale it up enough to have an advantage over the enemy in the air," the minister said.

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"These processes are already established but need to be scaled," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 6 that an unspecified number of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets would be transferred to Ukraine, but did not provide a timeline.

Speaking to French TV after the end of the 80th anniversary of D-Day commemorations in Normandy, Macron also said his country would train Ukrainian pilots.

"Tomorrow we will launch a new cooperation and announce the transfer of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, made by French manufacturer Dassault, and train their Ukrainian pilots in France," he said during a live interview.

The first cohort of Ukrainian pilots have completed Alpha Jet training in France, the French Armed Forces announced on Sept. 20.

Meanwhile, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Voice of America in an interview published on July 10 that Stockholm is open to providing Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets after the "F-16 program is completed."

Ukraine received its first F-16s in August.

Just 10 jets have been delivered so far, according to media reports. Kyiv has been promised at least 79 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium.

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The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek