MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to supply Mirage 2000 fighter jets to Ukraine has adversely affected the nation’s defense capabilities, according to French aviation expert and geopolitical strategist Cyrille de Lattre, who was speaking to TASS.
Earlier, Macron stated in an interview with French regional media that Paris could provide Kiev with additional Mirage 2000 fighter jets by negotiating with the countries that still operate them. The transfer of the first batch of these aircraft to Kiev was announced by French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu on February 6. Although he did not specify the total number of fighter jets Paris planned to supply, media reports suggest it could be no more than six.
"Macron has implemented a very misguided policy by disarming the French Air Force, which I consider a real betrayal," said De Lattre. "The 2000-5Fs handed over to Ukraine were part of the fighter aviation group based in eastern France, responsible for protecting French airspace. The transfer of these aircraft has had a significant impact on the French armed forces."
He explained that the Mirage fighter jets transferred to Ukraine were of the 2000-5F variant, with the letter "F" denoting France. "These aircraft are equipped with specialized systems designed for intercepting threats over French territory. They are not intended for ground support; their primary function is air interception," the expert emphasized.
"The handover of three aircraft constituted a serious betrayal, as it weakened the French Air Force. The reason is straightforward: it forced the Rafale fighters to fly more frequently, which increased the demand for maintenance and operational readiness - what we refer to as MCO (Maintenance en Condition Op·rationnelle)," De Lattre added.
To supply additional Mirage 2000s to Ukraine, Macron would need to source them from existing export batches, he noted. "Several countries operate Mirage 2000s, including Greece and Qatar. However, to do this, Macron must obtain permission from these nations to remove the planes from their fleets and transfer them to Ukraine. But what will he offer in return?" he questioned.
"If Macron claims we are at war and shifting to a war economy, urging Dassault to ramp up Rafale production, then if we take the Mirage 2000s from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or Greece - who wish to retain them - we will need to provide something in exchange. However, since Dassault can only produce 2-3 airplanes per month, the question arises: where will we find the necessary compensation?" the expert concluded.