Key Points and Summary – Ukraine and France have signed a “historic” defense declaration that could see Kyiv acquire up to 100 Rafale F4 fighters by 2035 and eight next-generation SAMP/T air defense batteries.
-The upgraded SAMP/T, firing improved Aster 30 Block 1 missiles, will give Ukraine a Patriot-like shield against Russian cruise and ballistic threats.
(July 3, 2018) A French Dassault Rafale M Fighter touches down on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman is currently deployed as part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters around the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rebekah A. Watkins/Released)
A French Rafale fighter aircraft prepares to receive fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, during a partner nation aerial refueling mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 20, 2023. The KC-10 provides U.S. and partner nation aircraft the ability to remain in the air for longer durations, maximizing their patrol time and ensuring regional stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Asselta)
-The Rafale brings AESA radar, the SPECTRA EW suite, and newly uprated M-88 engines, and has proven it can challenge even the F-35 in exercises.
-Paris and Kyiv will also launch joint projects, including interceptor drones, as Ukraine builds a superpower-scale air force alongside incoming F-16s and Gripens.
Ukraine to Receive 100 French Dassault Rafale Fighter Jets
On Monday, Ukraine announced its intention to purchase up to 100 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft.
The agreement comes after a meeting in Paris between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
The two signed a declaration of intent on cooperation in the defense sector on 17 November, with the centrepieces being Kyiv’s acquisition of the Rafale fighter jet and the latest model of the Sol-Air Moyenne-Portée/Terrestre (SAMP/T) air defense system.
The latter is regarded as being a close analogue to the US Patriot air and missile defense system.
Speaking at a press conference after the signing, the Ukrainian president revealed that Kyiv is planning to purchase eight SAMP/T batteries, each consisting of six launchers.
Macron said the agreement between the two nations will cover the next-generation version of the SAMP/T system, which is now in development.
Dassault Rafale Fighter. Image Credit: Dassault.
Dassault Rafale. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Ukraine is expected to receive the first deployed model of this new variant.
France had previously provided Ukraine with one of the current-generation SAMP/T batteries, which was supplied jointly with Italy.
This next-gen SAMP/T uses the Aster 30 Block 1 missile, which is equipped with a modified seeker, fuse, signal processing, and a directional blast warhead that directs larger warhead fragments toward the target.
The Aster 30 missile has a tandem first-stage solid-propellant booster motor, which is jettisoned after the initial launch/boost phase and turn-over, before the mid-course correction phase of its trajectory.
“Ukraine already knows the characteristics of this system, but now these will be new, enhanced characteristics,” the French president commented.
Making the SAMP/T one of the central points of the agreement between the two nations is significant in that Russian air strikes continue to hit Ukraine’s cities and kill civilians, and are destroying the nation’s power grids, due to a lack of air defense assets.
The Dassault Rafale Sale
The declaration between the two heads of state was signed during Zelensky’s official trip to France, concerning “acquisition of defense equipment” by Ukraine, the Ukrainian Presidential Office said.
Zelensky had described the signing as a “truly historic” moment for both nations.
This agreement authorizes Ukrainian purchases of materiel from the French defense industry, “including 100 Rafale F4 aircraft for Ukraine’s combat aviation by 2035, the SAMP/T air defense systems, radars for air defense systems, air-to-air missiles, and aerial bombs,” Zelensky said on his social media platforms.
The Rafale is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter and is considered one of the most advanced fighter aircraft on the market today.
The aircraft, which has been flying as a prototype since the 1980s, has an advanced RBE2-AA Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) radar and the latest Thales SPECTRA electronic warfare (EW) suite.
Safran, the maker of the aircraft’s M-88 jet engine, has also recently developed a higher thrust version of the power plant.
This addresses a long-time issue with the aircraft being slightly underpowered.
The aircraft has also proven that its regular updates and improvements to its electronic systems make it a contender in the air war environment, even against the latest stealthy US aircraft.
During an exercise held earlier this year, the French aircraft scored a kill against the US F-35, despite the American jet’s low radar cross-section.
Cooperative Ventures
The Ukrainian and French defense industries will also reportedly begin work on new joint projects this year, including a special emphasis on interceptor drones, according to Ukraine’s president.
Paris is now preparing a new defense aid package for Ukraine to be finalized by the end of the year, he stated.
At the joint press conference between the two presidents, Macron stressed the need to maintain pressure on Russia and warned nations that are showing signs of weakening support for Ukraine.
“I hope that peace will be achieved by 2027. And I believe that the past months have been marked by decisions that have become real turning points,” he said.
Zelensky’s arrival began with him landing at the Villacoublay air base near Paris earlier in the day, where he was welcomed by Macron ahead of the signing ceremony.
During his visit to the airbase, Zelensky inspected a range of advanced French weapons systems, including Rafale jets and the SAMP/T air defense battery.
Macron’s office said last week that the two leaders would discuss bilateral cooperation in the “energy, economic, and defense fields.”
The two leaders were also to prepare security guarantees for Ukraine under what has become known as the “Coalition of the Willing” multinational framework.
JAS 39 Gripen E Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
France has been one of Ukraine’s most important allies since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Among other systems France has supplied are Mirage 2000 fighter jets, artillery systems, the SCALP long-range air-launched cruise missiles, and a plethora of others.
The scale of the Russian aggression has prompted Ukraine to drive towards building a superpower-sized air force.
The country has previously received used F-16 fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team commander and pilot, performs aerial maneuvers in a U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon during an air show at Latrobe, Pennsylvania, June 21, 2025. The F-16, a multi-role fighter aircraft capable of both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, demonstrates its versatility through dynamic aerial demonstrations at air shows across the globe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven Cardo)
Recently, it concluded another agreement to acquire up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets.
Speaking before today’s visit, Zelensky touted a “historic deal with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense.”
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of the Asia Research Centre at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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Shitpile
November 18, 2025 at 10:22 pm
So many neoliberalist nations are supporting the nazi cohort today.
HOPING OR WISHING FOR WW3.
Humans must fight against all forms of modern fascism, whether it’s reborn nazism in ukraine, pro-war neoliberalism in germany, Today’s globalism across the globe, especially belt-and-roadism, debt-trapism and xism.
Thanks for anti-fascism. And hail to bubba.