The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is now nearing its fourth year, and peace efforts to end it have intensified. Despite the passage of time, neither Russia nor Ukraine, equipped with Western fighter jets, have been able to establish air supremacy. Both countries are continuously releasing videos to demonstrate the performance of their fighter jets. After Russian state-owned company Rostec released a video claiming that its Sukhoi-35S fighter jets forced Western F-16 and Mirage 2000 aircraft to retreat in low-altitude combat, the Ukrainian Air Force also released a video stating that its Mirage 2000 fighter jets achieved an impressive 8% success rate.
Air battle escalates, Ukraine claims supremacy over Russian jets
The Ukrainian Air Force released a video on November 26, featuring a rarely seen French-supplied Mirage 2000, with a pilot and technicians discussing the jet’s effectiveness on the battlefield. The aircraft is shown at forward operating airfield. It claimed that Mirage 2000 aircraft shot down Russian missiles and drones mid-air. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that an unspecified number of Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters is set to be transferred to Ukraine.
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However, analysts say that the claims of these two countries prove that both are struggling to dominate Ukrainian skies. Speaking to the Russian news agency TASS, the CEO of Rostec said that due to the Sukhoi-35, enemy aircraft are forced to fly at low altitudes. The Sukhoi-35 jets are destroying their targets from a distance of hundreds of kilometers. Because of this, enemy aircraft are unable to fire air-to-air missiles. This includes the American F-16 and the French Mirage 2000 aircraft.
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Strengths of the Mirage-2000 jet
Russia's Sukhoi-35 is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter jet. It is Russia's most advanced fighter jet, capable of establishing air supremacy and carrying out precision strikes. It is equipped with the Irbis-E radar, which can identify targets up to 400 km away. It is equipped with long-range R-77 or R-37M missiles. Russia has lost approximately eight Sukhoi-35 jets in combat. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military continues to fight with the French Mirage 2000 fighter jet. The effectiveness of intercepting enemy drones and missiles on Mirage aircraft is 98%, the pilot was quoted as saying in the video.
Mirage 2000 jet is known for its high agility and performance, due to its delta-wing design and powerful engine. It has advanced avionics and sensor systems, especially in upgraded versions, which improve situational awareness and target tracking. Additionally, this jet is capable of carrying a diverse range of weaponry.