As Ukrainian pilots train on American-built F-16 fighters, France's announcement Thursday that it will supply Mirage jets will bring Kyiv a mix-and-match air fleet in line with its existing jumble of Western-supplied weapons.
President Emmanuel Macron said that France would supply Mirage 2000-5 fighters, which will join the F-16 and Russian-made MIG-29 and Sukhoi models already in service.
"The F-16 and Mirage integration dilemma is part of a longer trend for Ukraine's armed forces since 2022. ... Ukraine has been struggling with integrating and adapting its newly received defense systems," said Ivan Klyszcz of the Estonia-based International Center for Defence and Security.