The first four of the 16 French Rafale fighter jets intended for Ukraine are scheduled to be delivered before the end of 2026, after Ukrainian pilots and technicians complete training in France; an air-defense radar and Aster 30 missiles will also be provided, according to the “roadmap” signed on Tuesday by French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The document details the political agreement Macron announced the previous day at the close of the Paris summit of the Coalition of Volunteers to assist Ukraine, and states that Kyiv will formalize an initial order for 16 Rafale aircraft, including armament, as part of a program that foresees acquiring up to one hundred of these planes.
The aim is for the first four fighters to be transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces before year-end to enable the operational deployment of that initial capability “as soon as possible,” according to the agreement.
The aircraft will be delivered with air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, including AASM guided bombs (Armament Air-to-Ground Modular), laser-guided rockets to counter drones, and MICA short- and medium-range and Meteor very long-range missiles, both produced by European manufacturer MBDA.
The joint declaration also authorizes licensed production in Ukraine of AASM bombs and long-range air-to-ground SCALP cruise missiles (also manufactured by MBDA) before the end of 2026.
In the area of air defense, Ukraine will acquire four Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG systems, of which it would be the first combat user. While those systems are being manufactured, France will temporarily deploy two operational SAMP/T systems that will be returned after delivery of the new version.
As an initial component of those systems, a GF300 radar will be deployed in Ukraine before the end of this year, and five GM400 radars will be delivered before the end of 2027.
France and Italy will also accelerate delivery of Aster 30 missiles before October 2026 and will authorize their licensed production in Ukraine before the end of the year.
In addition, Paris will support development of the Ukrainian Freya anti-ballistic interceptor through industrial cooperation and technical assistance from the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).
Financing for the Rafale fighters and SAMP/T NG systems will be requested from the 2026 and 2027 tranches of the European “Ukraine Support Loan” (USL) program, intended to strengthen Ukrainian military capabilities and to integrate its defense industry with that of the European Union.
The USL is an EU loan mechanism created to finance support for Ukraine using as collateral the extraordinary profits generated by Russian sovereign assets immobilized on EU territory following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
(With information from EFE)