NATO asks Greece to transfer Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine.

NATO member states are pressuring Greece to consider transferring part of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet fleet to Ukraine through allied intermediaries, as Washington seeks a broader participation from southern European partners.

As reported by Kathimerini on October 2, 2025, Greek defense officials confirmed that NATO allies have discussed the possible transfer of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Greece to Ukraine through partner countries. The proposal is part of ongoing alliance talks on increasing military support for Kyiv as Washington urges a broader participation from southern European partners. The issue is politically delicate for Athens, which supports Ukraine but aims to avoid actions that could heighten tensions with Moscow or weaken its national defenses.
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These demands concern the potential transfer of part of the Hellenic Air Force’s 24 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, either directly or through intermediaries such as the United States, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. (Picture source: Hellenic Air Force)

Athens is once again facing growing pressure from its NATO partners to do more for Ukraine, this time over the possibility of transferring some of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets. The discussions come after Washington decided to boost its weapons and ammunition supplies to Kyiv, prompting allies to call for broader contributions from across the alliance. Greece is being asked to consider selling part of its Mirage 2000-5 fleet, 24 aircraft in total, to countries such as the United States, France, Germany, or the Czech Republic, which would then deliver them to Ukraine. Even Estonia, one of Ukraine’s most active backers, has reportedly offered to act as an intermediary. For Athens, the issue is politically and strategically sensitive: the government wants to support Ukraine without taking steps that could further strain its already limited ties with Russia.

The Mirage 2000-5 has long been a key element of Greece’s air force, but it now sits at the crossroads of modernization plans. The Hellenic Air Force still operates 24 aircraft with 331 Squadron, and a recent maintenance agreement has improved their availability to about half the fleet. However, the cost of keeping them operational continues to rise, and Greece has been discussing their future with France. Since the jets are of French origin, Athens explored whether selling some of them might help lower the price of new Rafale fighters, between six and twelve of which Greece hopes to buy in the coming years. The idea was examined but not finalized, partly because of political hesitation. Greek officials worry that sending such advanced aircraft, even indirectly, could be interpreted as taking an active military stance against Russia, something Athens wants to avoid.

These conversations also come as Greece phases out its older Mirage 2000 EGM/BGM aircraft, which were bought in the late 1980s and retired in January 2022 when the first Rafale jets entered service. Those older Mirages, once flown by 332 Squadron, suffered from chronic maintenance problems and spent years grounded for lack of spare parts. Eighteen airframes remain stored at Tanagra Air Base, and several have been stripped for components. Athens has already looked for potential buyers, holding talks with India, still an active Mirage operator, and a few Balkan countries, but none of the discussions led to a deal. Given their condition, the aircraft would have fetched only modest sums. For Greece, the real value would have been political, as a gesture of cooperation with a partner rather than a major sale.

The more modern Mirage 2000-5s remain in use, but their role is changing. While they still provide valuable air defense capabilities, they have not been upgraded to link into Greece’s growing network of F-16V, Rafale, and, eventually, F-35 fighters. A proposal to add Link 16 terminals was dropped because of cost and technical concerns. Without that upgrade, the Mirage 2000-5 is likely to shift into a more limited interception role, much like the older F-16 Block 30 aircraft. Technical support for the fleet is also expected to end around 2027, which makes their long-term future uncertain. For that reason, many within the air force favor concentrating on one French fighter type, the Rafale, to simplify logistics, training, and maintenance. Greece is due to receive six more Rafale soon, bringing its total to 24, and may later order six additional aircraft to form two full squadrons.

Instead of sending modern aircraft to Ukraine, Athens has chosen to provide older and less critical systems. Sixty M110 self-propelled howitzers, dating back to the 1960s, are being shipped to the Czech Republic for transfer to Ukraine. In exchange, Greece will receive 155 mm ammunition with a range of up to 40 kilometers and spare parts for its remaining Eastern-made vehicles, which are increasingly hard to maintain. This allows Greece to contribute without weakening its own defenses. The United States has also urged Athens to join the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, a NATO-linked program that coordinates the purchase of American-made weapons for Kyiv. So far, the initiative has mainly involved Baltic and Scandinavian countries, but Washington wants more southern members, including Greece, to join in order to spread the load.

The Mirage 2000-5, operated by Greece, is a single-seat multirole fighter optimized for air superiority and precision strike missions. Built by Dassault Aviation, it is powered by a single SNECMA M53-P2 turbofan engine producing 95 kN of thrust with afterburner, allowing speeds of up to Mach 2.2 and a service ceiling of 17,000 meters. The aircraft’s range extends to roughly 1,550 kilometers on internal fuel, or 3,300 kilometers with external tanks. Greece’s version, the Mirage 2000-5 Mk2, is equipped with the RDY-2 pulse-Doppler radar, compatible with both air-to-air and air-to-surface targeting modes. Its standard armament includes two 30 mm DEFA 554 cannons and compatibility with MICA RF and IR air-to-air missiles, SCALP-EG cruise missiles, and Exocet AM39 anti-ship missiles. This configuration allows Greece to maintain a credible deterrent and maritime strike capability over the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. The avionics suite features the ICMS Mk3 electronic warfare system, a glass cockpit with multifunction displays, and updated mission computers that enable better situational awareness and interoperability with newer systems like the Rafale.

To date, the Mirage 2000-5F aircraft supplied to Ukraine by France have been used primarily for air defense and limited strike operations since their introduction in mid-2024. Deployed in small numbers, these French variants are designed for interception and precision engagement with MICA missiles and laser-guided munitions. In Ukrainian service, the aircraft have been integrated gradually, with pilots trained in France and maintenance assistance provided by Dassault and Safran teams. The Mirage 2000-5F has proven capable of engaging Russian drones and cruise missiles at medium altitude and conducting limited ground-attack missions using guided bombs, but its small fleet size limits its overall impact. Operational reports indicate high reliability in quick reaction alert roles, though performance is constrained by limited spare parts. Despite this, the Mirage has given Ukraine an important technological bridge toward Western multirole fighters, combining agility, radar performance, and beyond-visual-range engagement capability comparable to early Eurofighter and F-16C Block 50 standards.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.