Rafale seen from the front of the Sanicole Airshow in Belgium. Photo taken by Tom Houquet./www.dassault-aviation.com
Ukrainian pilots are expected to begin training in France on French Rafale fighter jets soon, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on October 5, promoting a high-profile deal that would eventually give Ukraine up to 100 of the aircraft but whose financing and implementation remain uncertain.
“Ukrainian pilots will soon begin training on French Rafale aircraft in France. This is a significant step forward for Ukraine’s combat aviation,” Zelenskyy said on X after a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The training is part of a broader French-Ukrainian defense agreement first announced in November 2025, when Kyiv and Paris signed a letter of intent for Ukraine to acquire as many as 100 Rafales over the following decade.
The plan covers newly manufactured aircraft rather than transfers from France’s existing fleet and was presented as a long-term effort to rebuild and modernize Ukraine’s air force.
The scope of the agreement was further defined in a joint declaration signed in July. Under that arrangement, Ukraine announced an initial order for 16 Rafales and their armaments, with the remaining aircraft part of the longer-term 100-plane plan.
Four of the initial aircraft are to be transferred to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots and mechanics complete their training in France.
The Rafale package is also considerably broader than the aircraft themselves. France and Ukraine are planning cooperation on AASM guided bombs, SCALP cruise missiles and MICA and Meteor air-to-air missiles, while Ukraine has been authorized to produce AASM and SCALP munitions domestically under license.
The two countries have also tied the aviation plan to cooperation on the SAMP/T NG air-defense and ballistic-missile defense system.
But major questions remain over how the purchases will actually be financed. The July declaration says Kyiv will seek funding for the initial Rafales through the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan for 2026 and 2027 and through other financing sources. It does not publish a final contract value or show that the entire Rafale program has already been financially secured.
The EU’s Ukraine Support Loan is a substantial potential source of money. The €90 billion program for 2026 and 2027 includes up to €60 billion for defense procurement, while Ukraine has been allocated up to €28.3 billion in defense-related support for 2026. But those funds cover Ukraine’s broader military needs rather than constituting a dedicated Rafale budget.
That distinction is important because Ukraine is under severe financial pressure while fighting. Kyiv has been seeking additional external financing to cover its military and budget needs, while the cost of sustaining the fighting continues to rise.
Reuters reported on October 5 that Ukraine faces a major funding shortfall as its military expenditures surge and its economy comes under further pressure from Russian attacks.
The result is a Rafale program that remains politically significant but highly questionable as a fully funded, near-term procurement effort. The pilot training can begin before the aircraft themselves are delivered, while the initial 16-aircraft purchase and the much larger plan for 100 jets still depend on financing arrangements that have not been publicly detailed.
For now, the agreement represents a framework rather than evidence that Kyiv has secured the resources needed to rapidly field all 100 aircraft.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
