While Ukraine’s deep-strike interdiction drones and partisan agents are executing the grand strategy that is taking the offensive to the airfields, factories, and oil refineries of the Russian heartland, nerve centers in Moscow, and the Kremlin arteries of pipelines and railways, back in Ukraine’s homeland theater, more traditional, conventional air power is also being upgraded.
Over the four years since Russian forces invaded, Ukraine has been working to modernize its long-neglected air power arm with four separate fighter aircraft, the US-made F-16, the French Mirage 2000 and Rafale, and Sweden’s Saab Gripen, plus the Saab 340/ASC830 AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) platform.
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Ukrainian Air Force integrates NATO-standard F-16AM warplanes
President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks as he stands in front of an F-16 fighter during a ceremony held to mark Ukrainian Air Forces Day at an undisclosed location on Aug. 4, 2024. (Photo by Sergei Supinsky / AFP)
Ukrainian Air Force pilots are now the most experienced fighter pilots in the world at shooting down cruise missiles and UAVs. And they’ve added Russian fighters to the long list of aircraft shot down by F-16 pilots. Ukraine has been flying F-16s in combat for well over a year now, with operational integration being worked out while drones buzz and missiles scream.
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Pilot F-16 transition training began in the United States in late 2023 at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, AZ. The modified F-16AM aircraft were Mid-Life Update aircraft from Northern European nations upgrading their fleets to F-35As. The F-16AM were modernized further with improved electronic warfare capabilities and countermeasures to improve survivability around S-300 and S-400 (NATO: SA-20 and SA-2) air defense systems.
Initial aircraft delivery took place in the summer of 2024 with airplanes provided by Denmark. In February 2025, a new batch of F-16s arrived from the Netherlands. Though not divulged for obvious security reasons, total number of F-16AM (and the corresponding two-seat F-16BM) models is expected to be approximately 85 total. Deliveries from Belgium were postponed to 2026, tied to a delay in Belgium’s transition to F-35s. At least two airframes will be provided by Norway.
The adoption of the F-16 has ushered in the use of the US AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as well as precision guided weapons including the GBU-39/B SDB (small diameter bomb).
More importantly, the F-16 and the Dassault aircraft are bringing Ukraine on board with Link 16, a tactical datalink system allowing real-time cockpit-to-cockpit sharing of sensor information, even by different platforms – allowing NATO AWACS to display friend and foe aircraft with positive identification on F-16, Mirage, or Gripen, thus enhancing situational awareness and targeting options.
French Dassault Mirage 2000-5F delivery and signing of Rafale agreement
Mirage 2000 fighters fly to Paris to take part in the Bastille Day military parade on July 14, 2022. (Photo by Christophe Simon / AFP)
Shortly after Ukrainian Air Force F-16s entered combat, Kyiv announced in late 2024 that its pilots would soon be augmenting them with Mirage 2000-5F, a modified version of the air defense fighter that now includes air-to-ground capability, including the use of precision-guided munitions (PGMs), and enhanced electronic warfare upgrades.
Ukraine has been operating at least six Mirage 2000-5F aircraft since February 2025, with pilots and ground crews completing French training programs by late 2024. France is also providing additional Mirage aircraft to further augment F-16s in the air defense role, but the timeline and numbers are classified.
Familiarization with Western aircraft and integration with NATO are the real benefits of the Mirage 2000 program in Ukraine. It gives a few more pilots, maintainers, logisticians, pilots who previously operated Soviet-era aircraft, the chance to adapt to Western avionics, flight controls, and maintenance and supply chain protocols.
The presence of both the F-16 and Mirage will also facilitate deeper tactical and strategic cooperation between Ukraine and NATO air forces. This lines up well with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s vision for a sustained long-term air force fleet of 250 fighters, comprised of 100 Dassault Rafales and 150 Saab JAS 39 Gripens, along with its current F-16AMs – and possibly the newest Block 70 F-16V.
France’s flagship fighter, the Dassault Rafale, in Ukraine’s near future
French Air Force Dassault Rafale B (two-seat version of Rafale A) at RIAT 2009. (Photo by Tim Felce / Airwolfhound / Wikimedia Commons)
On Nov. 17, 2025, Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a 10-year cooperation deal to begin the Ukrainian president’s vision for a new fleet of Western combat aircraft, with up to 100 of France’s premier 4th generation plus Dassault Rafale air superiority and multirole fighter joining Kyiv’s air power arsenal over the next decade.
President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron in front of a Dassault Rafale fighter after signing an agreement at the Villacoublay Air Base, in Velizy-Villacoublay, near Paris on Nov. 17, 2025. (Photo by Christophe Ena / POOL / AFP)
The landmark deal also includes additional SAMP/T launchers and Aster-30 interceptor missiles, weapons designed to counter the types of high-speed, high-altitude threats Russia routinely fires at Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Beyond piloted aviation, the visit featured a forum linking Ukrainian and French drone manufacturers – part of a wider push to expand industrial cooperation and ensure Ukraine can eventually produce more of its own advanced systems.
Sweden sending some Saab Gripen fighters soon, with production partnership planned
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson walk past a Gripen fighter as they arrive to host a joint press conference in Linkoping, Sweden, on Oct. 22, 2025, after talks on Russia’s ongoing of aggression against Ukraine and the countries’ deepening defense cooperation. (Photo by Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)
Sweden formally committed to supplying up to 150 JAS 39 Gripen fighters in a deal worth an estimated $12-$15 billion – another major boost to Ukraine’s long-term air-power plans, with Kyiv receiving up to 14 Swedish JAS-39 Gripen C/D fighters in 2026.
The agreements include pilot and technician training programs expected to begin in 2026. Ukraine is also planning joint production and maintenance cooperation with Saab, the manufacturer, aiming for long-term sustainability.
However, the Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson, Yuriy Ihnat, said that the Gripen fighters will not arrive in Ukraine anytime soon, but over the next 10 to 15 years.
“We won’t talk so hastily about the word ‘soon,’ because the aviation component is a high-tech weapon, and no country in the world can produce it quickly. Airplanes are something that is not easy to buy, and in fact, impossible to buy,” Ihnat said, as reported by state media Ukrinform.
Swedish Saab ASC890 AEW&C platforms to yield big picture battlespace awareness
A Swedish Air Force Saab 340 / ASC890 AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) aircraft of the type destined for Ukraine. (Photo by Måns Thuresson / Swedish Armed Forces / Sweden Min. of Def. Pål Jonson’s official X / Twitter account)
A true game-changer in the pursuit of air superiority is the Saab 340/ASC890 AEW&C platform aircraft. It was confirmed to be delivered by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in August 2025.
The PS-890 “Erieye” radar system onboard provides a detection range of approximately 300–350 km for fighter-sized targets, depending on the aspect angle with respect to the Saab 340, offering wide-area surveillance and early warning capabilities.
Force multiplier role; integration with fighters (using Link 16)
The Saab 340 AEW&C acts as a critical force multiplier by providing real-time situational awareness and command-and-control (C2) functions. It coordinates with air defense assets, fighter operations, and a country’s integrated air defense network.
The aircraft can serve as the host for Link 16 integration across the entire theater of Ukraine. The aircraft’s systems are integrated with Link 16, a NATO-standard tactical data link, enabling seamless communication and data sharing with Western fighters such as the F-16. This integration enables real-time sharing of radar tracks and threat information, enhanced target acquisition and engagement coordination. And most importantly, improved situational awareness for pilots and air- and ground-based controllers.
Saab 340/ASC890 AEW&C) Swedish Air Force. (Photo by KGG1951 / Wikimedia Commons)
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