MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. Actual deliveries of French Rafale fighter jets to Ukraine are unlikely before 2030-2032, if the program is implemented at all, French aviation expert Cyrille de Lattre told TASS.
"I would say it’s 2030-2032," he said, commenting on media reports suggesting possible deliveries as early as 2029.
De Lattre identified the lack of qualified personnel as the main obstacle. Operating 100 aircraft would require at least 200 pilots, and training to French standards takes more than four years. "Experienced Ukrainian pilots have already died. What remains are young, inexperienced pilots with no combat skills. Making them combat-ready in a short time is impossible," he explained.
The expert also questioned the logic of the timeline, suggesting the current Ukrainian leadership may no longer be in power by the time the jets are ready. "They are simply trying to buy time," the expert added.
De Lattre called the recently announced delivery memorandum a media maneuver intended to divert attention from corruption scandals involving Ukrainian officials and domestic challenges in France. He referenced accusations against former defense minister Rustem Umerov and figures close to President Vladimir Zelensky. "This is meant to sweep under the carpet problems facing France and [President Emmanuel] Macron, as well as Zelensky’s own issues, by pretending corruption doesn’t exist - when in fact it’s rampant," he emphasized.
The expert also cast doubt over the declared cost of the deal. Based on the €110-120 million per-unit price seen in the contract with Egypt - which includes weapons and maintenance - the total for 100 jets would exceed €11 billion (roughly 1 trillion rubles), not the €10 billion (937.8 billion rubles) cited publicly. "Given kickbacks and corruption, this makes no sense," de Lattre concluded.