Macron to propose Rafale discount if Greece sends Mirage jets to Ukraine
April 23, 2026
French President Macron is expected to visit Greece on Friday and discuss the military relationship between the two countries. He is said to propose that Greece supply its aging Mirage 2000s to Ukraine in exchange for a discount on new Dassault Rafales.
Marcon to offer discount on Rafales if Greece sends Mirages to Ukraine
The proposal for Greece to send its old Mirages to Ukraine is nothing new. France has been trying to get export customers like Greece and the UAE to send their retiring Mirages to Ukraine, with France facilitating the move.
The Greek news outlet, Ekathimerini, wrote, “Paris has proposed acquiring Greece’s Mirage 2000-5 aircraft for transfer to Ukraine, offering improved terms for Rafale fighters in return, an offer Athens has so far rejected.”
The OSINT account, French Aid To Europe, posted this will reportedly “propose an exchange of all 43 of Greece’s Mirage 2000s (including the 24 Mirage 2000-5s and 19 retired Mirage 2000 EGM/BGMs) and their spare parts for an equivalent number of Rafale jets at a reduced price.”
🇫🇷🇺🇦🇬🇷 Macron, who is due to visit Greece on Friday, is reportedly set to propose an exchange of all 43 of Greece’s Mirage 2000s (including the 24 Mirage 2000-5s and 19 retired Mirage 2000 EGM/BGMs) and their spare parts for an equivalent number of Rafale jets at a reduced price. pic.twitter.com/oJGQVtOLcb
— French Aid to Europe 🇨🇵 🇪🇺 (@aidefranceukr) April 22, 2026
It remains unclear what sort of discount France is offering and what “an equivalent number” of Rafales really is.
Greece maintains one of the largest militaries in Europe, although its military is primarily pointed at its historical rival, but awkward fellow NATO ally, Turkey.
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Upgrading the Hellenic Air Force
The Greek account e-Αmyna claims the optimal choice for Greece would be to transfer all its Mirage 2000-5s to Ukraine for 12 additional Rafales.
This would allow the country to complete setting up two squadrons with modern 36 Rafales for its 114th Combat Wing.
This is not the first time France has been pressuring Greece to supply its retiring Mirages to Ukraine. Greece announced its plan to phase out and sell its older fighter jet models in March 2024.
Militaryni writes, “One of the reasons for the new procurement is the planned retirement of Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, with Dassault support set to end after 2027.”
The Hellenic Air Force is considering purchasing a batch of F4.3 model Rafales, although it is also considering purchasing the upcoming F5. The issue with the F5 is that it may not enter service before 2035. Greece has 24 Rafales currently in service.
Πριν από 10 μέρες γράφαμε ότι η βέλτιστη επιλογή για την Ελλάδα απέναντι στη γαλλική πίεση για μεταβίβαση Mirage 2000-5 στην Ουκρανία θα ήταν η ανταλλαγή του συνόλου (και όχι "αριθμού") των 24 ελληνικών Mirage 2000-5 με 12 ακόμη Rafale, ώστε να συμπληρωθούν 2 μοίρες με 36 Rafale… https://t.co/VtnDquPI8i pic.twitter.com/XlzSHqCOGf
— e-Αmyna (@e_amyna) April 21, 2026
Greece is also upgrading some of its F-16s and retiring some older models. It is set to retire the last of its old F-4 Phantom IIs and has placed an order for the F-35 stealth fighter.
There has been plenty of speculation that its old Mirages and F-16s would go to Ukraine. So far, that hasn’t materialized.
Trying to make up the Mirage numbers
AGN has previously reported that France is one of the countries supplying Western fighter jets to Ukraine. However, France is limited by the number of aircraft it can supply from its own stocks.
For a while, France blocked the UAE from transferring its retiring Mirages to Morocco, instead insisting they go to Ukraine. France has relented on the transfer, although the UAE is now thinking it wants to keep them for longer.
One of the main reasons why the F-16 was chosen as the primary interim Western fighter jet for Ukraine is that it is available in the greatest numbers. The F-16 is the most produced and most active 4th-generation fighter in the world, and there are many airframes, parts, and expertise for them.
The Saab Gripen was another contender as an interim jet for Ukraine, but it is only available in modest numbers.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
