On March 10, 2025, France confirmed that Mirage 2000-5F fighter jets operated by the Ukrainian Air Force will be equipped with AASM extended-range guided bombs, enhancing Ukraine’s ability to conduct precision strikes in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian Mirage 2000 fleet levels up with high-tech bombs
Photo credit: X
The announcement, reported by sources tracking military developments, marks a significant step in France’s support for Ukraine, providing the nation with an additional platform capable of delivering advanced munitions.
This follows earlier tests in which a French Mirage 2000-5F demonstrated its capacity to carry up to six AASM-250 bombs, signaling the potential firepower now available to Ukrainian pilots. The decision comes as part of a broader effort by Western nations to bolster Ukraine’s military capabilities amid a war that has persisted since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Today, France confirmed that Ukrainian Air Force Mirage 2000-5Fs will be outfitted with AASM extended-range guided bombs, giving Ukraine another capable strike platform.
Previously, a French Mirage 2000-5F was tested with a massive loadout of up to 6 AASM-250s. https://t.co/qSPdQ5GLHR pic.twitter.com/g2mB8WEpVr
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 10, 2025
The integration of these bombs into Ukraine’s arsenal raises questions about their tactical impact, the types of targets they might engage, and their role in the evolving dynamics of the conflict.
The addition of AASM bombs to Ukraine’s Mirage 2000-5F jets expands the country’s options for striking targets at greater distances with improved accuracy. Military analysts note that these munitions, developed by French company Safran Electronics & Defense, are designed to transform standard unguided bombs into precision-guided weapons.
With a range exceeding 70 kilometers when launched from high altitudes, the AASM allows pilots to engage targets while remaining outside the reach of many short- and medium-range air defense systems. This stand-off capability could prove critical for Ukrainian forces, who have faced intense pressure from Russian air defenses and artillery along the front lines.
France has announced a new €195 million aid package for Ukraine, funded by frozen Russian assets, including 155mm shells and AASM guided bombs.
Additionally, France will accelerate the delivery of pledged systems, including AMX-10RCs and other APCs. pic.twitter.com/zGpa1O4Xjw
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 9, 2025
The Mirage 2000-5F, a multirole fighter jet introduced by Dassault Aviation in the late 1990s, is already equipped to handle both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, making it a versatile platform for deploying these munitions.
From a tactical perspective, the AASM’s extended range offers Ukraine a tool to target Russian military assets deeper behind enemy lines. Analysts suggest that potential targets could include command posts, ammunition depots, logistics hubs, and troop concentrations, all of which have been critical to Russia’s war effort.
The bombs’ precision guidance—combining inertial navigation, GPS, and optional laser or infrared systems—enables strikes with a reported accuracy within one meter under optimal conditions. This precision could reduce collateral damage compared to unguided munitions, though its effectiveness depends on factors such as weather, electronic jamming, and the quality of targeting data provided to Ukrainian pilots.
“The ability to hit high-value targets at a distance changes the risk calculus for Russian forces,” said Douglas Barrie, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, in a recent analysis of Western-supplied weapons.
However, he cautioned that the small number of Mirage jets—estimated at six to twelve based on French commitments—limits the scale of their impact unless paired with a steady supply of munitions and robust logistical support.
The question of whether these bombs can be intercepted by Russian defenses is a key consideration. Russia possesses advanced air defense systems, including the S-400, which has a range of up to 400 kilometers and is designed to counter aircraft and munitions like cruise missiles.
However, the AASM is not a traditional missile but a guided bomb, released from an aircraft and propelled by a rocket motor in its tail section. Its relatively small size and low radar cross-section make it harder to detect compared to larger cruise missiles like the SCALP-EG, also supplied to Ukraine by France.
Russian systems such as the Pantsir-S1, optimized for shorter-range threats, could pose a risk if deployed near the target area, but the AASM’s stand-off range reduces the likelihood of the launching aircraft entering these systems’ engagement zones. Electronic warfare, a strength of Russian forces, could disrupt GPS guidance, though the bomb’s inertial navigation provides a fallback, albeit with reduced accuracy.
Analysts remain divided on the interceptability of the AASM, with some suggesting that its success will hinge on Ukraine’s ability to coordinate strikes and suppress enemy defenses.
The AASM, officially known as the Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, or Modular Air-to-Ground Weapon, has been a cornerstone of French military technology since its introduction in 2007.
Developed to provide a cost-effective alternative to expensive stand-alone missiles, the system adapts existing bombs—typically in the 250-, 500-, or 1,000-kilogram class—by adding a guidance kit and a range-extension module.
The standard version, used widely by the French Air Force, relies on a hybrid inertial GPS system for navigation. More advanced variants incorporate laser guidance for moving targets or infrared imaging for all-weather precision, though it remains unclear which specific configuration Ukraine will receive.
The 250-kilogram version, known as the AASM-250, is the most commonly referenced in relation to the Mirage 2000-5F, aligning with the jet’s payload capacity of approximately 6,300 kilograms across nine hardpoints.
Safran, the manufacturer, designed the AASM to be highly modular, allowing it to be tailored to different mission profiles. The tail kit includes foldable winglets for enhanced maneuverability and a solid-fuel rocket motor that extends the bomb’s range beyond that of traditional gravity bombs.
When launched from low altitudes, the range drops significantly, but high-altitude releases—enabled by the Mirage 2000-5F’s operational ceiling of 15,240 meters—maximize its reach. The system’s development began in the late 1990s, with France seeking a weapon that could bridge the gap between unguided bombs and costly cruise missiles.
After a competitive bidding process, Safran secured the contract in 2000, delivering the first units to the French military seven years later. Since then, the AASM has seen combat in conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, and Mali, earning a reputation for reliability with a reported 99% success rate in French operations.
The bomb’s integration with Ukraine’s Mirage jets builds on its prior use with other aircraft in the Ukrainian Air Force. Since early 2024, AASM bombs have been deployed from Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters, adapted to carry the French munitions. Images circulating online in March 2024 provided the first visual confirmation of this pairing, following France’s pledge to supply 50 bombs per month throughout the year.
The Mirage 2000-5F, however, offers advantages over the MiG-29, including superior avionics and a higher payload capacity, potentially allowing for more bombs per sortie. The jets’ Thales RDY radar, capable of tracking multiple targets at 70 miles, enhances situational awareness, while electronic warfare upgrades—added specifically for Ukraine—improve survivability against Russian jamming.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed in October 2024 that the jets were modified at Cazaux Air Base to integrate air-to-ground capabilities, a process that included compatibility with the AASM and SCALP-EG missiles.
Tests of the Mirage 2000-5F with AASM bombs date back to earlier demonstrations by the French Air Force, though specific details about those trials are limited in open sources. One notable example, referenced in posts on X on March 10, 2025, highlighted a French Mirage 2000-5F carrying up to six AASM-250 bombs, showcasing the aircraft’s ability to handle a substantial payload.
These tests, conducted prior to the jets’ transfer to Ukraine, aimed to validate the integration of the munitions with the aircraft’s systems. The Mirage’s delta-wing design and SNECMA M53-P2 engine, producing 21,384 pounds of thrust with an afterburner, enable it to reach speeds of Mach 2.2 and carry heavy loads without sacrificing agility.
During these trials, the AASM demonstrated its ability to strike targets at extended ranges, a capability now poised to benefit Ukrainian operations. The French military has not released comprehensive data on these tests, but the successful deployment of the AASM from Mirage 2000D variants in past conflicts suggests a proven track record.
The delivery of Mirage 2000-5F jets to Ukraine began in February 2025, with the first batch of three aircraft arriving after months of pilot training in France. French President Emmanuel Macron initially announced the transfer in June 2024, pledging an unspecified number of jets along with training for 4,500 Ukrainian personnel.
By October, Lecornu clarified that six aircraft would be provided, with the possibility of more depending on Ukraine’s needs and France’s inventory, which includes around 26 active Mirage 2000-5F jets. The confirmation of AASM compatibility on March 10, 2025, aligns with Ukraine’s push for greater interoperability with NATO-standard weapons, a process also evident in its use of F-16 jets supplied by the Netherlands and Denmark.
As the war progresses, the Mirage-AASM combination could shift the aerial balance, though its success will depend on Ukraine’s ability to protect the jets from Russian air defenses and maintain a steady supply of bombs amidst competing demands on Western stockpiles.
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