Ukrainian Media: NATO and U.S. Pressure Greece to Transfer Mirage 2000 Fighter Jets to Ukraine

Ukrainian Reports Highlight Pressure connected Athens

According to a study by the Ukrainian outlet Focus, citing sources from the Greek paper Kathimerini, Greece is nether expanding unit from its NATO allies and the United States to see transferring portion of its Mirage 2000-5 fleet to Ukraine.

The discussions are taking spot arsenic portion of a broader Western effort to boost subject enactment for Kyiv from Southern European countries.

Sale Through Third Countries

One of the scenarios being discussed involves selling the Mirage jets done intermediary countries specified arsenic the U.S., France, Germany, oregon the Czech Republic, which would past transportation them to Ukraine.

Estonia has besides expressed willingness to enactment arsenic a mediator successful the imaginable deal.

A Politically Sensitive Issue for Athens

The substance remains politically sensitive for the Greek government. On the 1 hand, Athens wants to enactment Ukraine, but connected the other, it aims to debar a full breakdown successful relations with Moscow oregon weakening its ain defence capabilities.

The Mirage 2000-5 craft person agelong been a core plus of the Hellenic Air Force, but their aboriginal is progressively uncertain. Of the 24 jets operated by the 331 Squadron, astir fractional stay operational. Maintenance costs person risen significantly, and method enactment is expected to extremity by 2027.

Modernizing Greece’s Fleet

Greece has already begun replacing its Mirage fleet with French Rafale jets, with plans to grow the fig of Rafales to betwixt 24 and 30 aircraft.

Selling portion of the Mirage fleet could assistance offset the cost of acquiring the caller craft and simplify the Air Force’s logistics. However, Greek officials fearfulness that adjacent an indirect transfer of Mirage craft could beryllium perceived by Russia arsenic a hostile move.

What the Mirage 2000 Brings to Ukraine The Mirage 2000 5 remains a modern multirole combatant jet, susceptible of importantly contributing to Ukraine’s aerial capabilities. It is powered by an SNECMA M53-P2 motor with a thrust of 95 kN, tin scope speeds of up to Mach 2.2, and has a scope of 3,300 km with outer substance tanks.

It features RDY-2 radar, ICMS Mk3 physics systems, and is compatible with MICA, SCALP-EG, and Exocet AM39 weapons.

Ukraine already operates French Mirage 2000-5F jets, chiefly utilized for intercepting drones and missiles, arsenic good arsenic conducting precision strikes. Despite their constricted number, the craft person demonstrated precocious reliability and person served arsenic a technological span for aboriginal deliveries of Western combatant jets.

Next Steps

Any determination connected transferring oregon selling Mirage jets volition yet beryllium made by Greece’s Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) successful coordination with allies. The contented remains nether adjacent planetary scrutiny.