Ukraine may fall into technological trap over Mirage-2000 aircraft issue - military expert Zgurets

He said this on the Espreso TV channel.

"The Mirage-2000 is a 4th generation multifunctional fighter aircraft. Visually, it can be distinguished from other fighters, it has a delta wing. There are a number of versions of this aircraft. Macron is talking about the Mirage-2000 version 5. This is the so-called export version, which has updated radars. The aircraft can use Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, bombs, and can be equipped with outboard electronic warfare containers. So, it's a decent machine,” Zgurets explained.

According to the military expert, the main challenge is the dispersion of the aircraft fleet and the need to train pilots on different types of aircraft.

"That is, the Mirage-2000 issue may fall into a technological trap. I remain committed to the approach of increasing the number of F-16s, which have much better characteristics. We are now stuck with the pace of pilot training in the US, Romania, and Denmark. The question arises where we will train pilots for these Mirage,” Zgurets emphasized.

• On June 6, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France plans to announce the transfer of Mirage 2000 military aircraft to Ukraine.
• On June 7, Macron will receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Elysee Palace in Paris. 
• He will also meet with his US counterpart Joe Biden in Paris on June 8: the leaders will discuss support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.