Ukraine will procure 16 Rafales and obtain the license to fabricate SCALP and Aster-30 missiles, while two SAMP/T batteries shall be instantly delivered.
Ukraine will obtain 4 Rafale plane as quickly as their pilots and mechanics end coaching, which can start this 12 months, while two SAMP/T batteries shall be instantly delivered to the nation. The announcement was made by French President Emmanuel Macron, following a gathering of the Coalition of the Keen in Paris on July 13, 2026, with clarification on the settlement printed in a joint declaration.
He said that “This includes a venture to accumulate 16 Rafale plane and their accompanying weapons programs. The primary flights might happen as early as 2028–2029, and personnel coaching will start within the coming months.” These plane come out of the 100 that France and Ukraine initially deliberate for acquisition in November 2025.
Nevertheless, it isn’t but recognized if these shall be new-build plane, or if they’ll come out of present French shares. Dassault at present has an order backlog of 220 Rafales awaiting manufacturing, so there’s a probability a few of these 16 plane may very well be second hand.
These plane shall be paid for utilizing the 2026 and 2027 Ukraine Help Mortgage alongside different types of financing, indicating that these will not be direct transfers of older navy gear, which has been achieved up to now freed from cost to Ukraine. Every plane shall be joined by a wide range of air-to-ground and air-to-air armaments, together with AASM bombs, MICA and METEOR missiles.
Ukraine may also obtain a newly examined 68mm laser-guided anti-drone rocket for the Rafale, beneath the programme identify Lutte anti-drone sur avion de fight (LADAC, which means anti-drone functionality for fight plane). They’re fired from the 12-round Thales Telson JF12 rocket pods and function in the identical method because the 70mm Superior Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) used on each U.S. and British plane.
🚀 La roquette guidée laser sur #Rafale, c’est validé !
La DICOD confirme l’arrivée de la capacité LADAC (Lutte Anti-Drone sur Avion de Fight). En quelques mois, la DGA et le CEAM ont intégré la roquette de 68mm through la nacelle TALIOS.
🎯 La chasse aux drones Shahed est ouverte pic.twitter.com/oheVbHkVpb
— bruno aviation (@Bruno_Aviation) July 13, 2026
Alongside the supply of those weapon programs France has additionally approved the licensed manufacturing of AASM bombs and SCALP missiles in Ukraine earlier than the top of 2026, with the intention that manufacturing begin as quickly as potential.
On the Air and Ballistic Anti-Missile Protection entrance, Ukraine will purchase two batteries of SAMP/T on a brief time period mortgage, to allow the nation to make up for the present small variety of obtainable Patriot missiles. These programs shall be changed by 4 newly constructed SAMP/T NG batteries which may also be paid for by the Ukraine Help Mortgage.
Moreover, Ukraine will get 5 GM400 radars, one GF300 radar, and one Kronos radar, which can improve the radar image over the nation. Every part of the SAMP/T NG shall be provided as it’s constructed, with a GF300 radar to be deployed within the nation by the top of 2026.
French President Macron introduced that Ukraine has acquired a license to fabricate Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles for SAMP/T, AASM Hammer guided aerial munitions, and SCALP cruise missiles. pic.twitter.com/FgqBNbD2fK
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) July 13, 2026
France and Italy have additionally approved the licensed manufacturing of Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine, as they start to speed up the supply of Aster 30 missiles they’d already agreed to provide Ukraine with. The Aster 30 is able to taking down ballistic missiles fired by Russia, which ought to assist to alleviate the burden at present positioned on the Patriot PAC-3 missile.
The provision of the 16 Rafales will be part of the 32 Gripen C/D/E/Fs additionally promised to be delivered to Ukraine over the approaching years, shifting Ukraine’s Air Drive into the long run. The nation already operates a big variety of F-16 Preventing Falcons and a small variety of Mirage 2000-5s, alongside an ever declining fleet of ex-Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrums, Su-27 Flankers, Su-24 Fencers and Su-25 Frogfoots.
The provision of 4.fifth technology plane will improve Ukraine’s air fight arm, permitting the nation to combat again towards the continuing Russian invasion.
Ballistic Missile Defence and the Freyja Programme
The choice to permit Ukraine to licence produce its personal missiles for each air defence and strike functions follows an identical determination by U.S. President Trump to permit Ukraine to supply its personal Patriot PAC-3 missiles, for the anti-ballistic missile position. As a result of ongoing battle with Iran, there may be now a premium positioned on air defence missiles within the Gulf, with Patriot’s being re-prioritised for the defence of U.S. bases within the area.
The Gulf States of Qatar and Kuwait, amongst others, have additionally made emergency orders of Patriot missiles from the U.S., putting appreciable pressure on the American manufacturing line.
❗️Ukrainian troops marched in a parade in Paris to mark France’s nationwide vacation – Bastille Day.
For the primary time in historical past, Ukrainian troopers are collaborating on this parade. They marched alongside the route from the Arc de Triomphe, whereas two Ukrainian pilots flew French… pic.twitter.com/DI9mOMBGip
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 14, 2026
In consequence, Ukraine has seen its regular provide of PAC-3 missiles reprioritized away from the nation, resulting in the Ukrainian Air Drive stating that there was a “severe scarcity” of interceptor missiles for ballistic missile defence within the nation. On July 5, 2026, of 23 ballistic missiles fired by Russia at Kyiv, none have been intercepted, inflicting important harm to the capital, the deaths of 15 folks and accidents to 56 others.
Subsequently, the dearth of air defence missiles in Ukraine has taken centre stage on the NATO summit in Ankara, by which Trump made his guarantees to Ukraine to construct its personal PAC-3 missiles. This advantages each Ukraine and the U.S., with Ukraine receiving an assured provide of the missile, while America expands its worldwide manufacturing capability, in case there’s a future must surge manufacturing in a disaster.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had appealed for his allies to take “robust choices” at this week’s Nato summit to supply Kyiv with air defences and it seems that in the long run they shall accomplish that.
It was additionally introduced in Paris on the assembly of the Coalition of the Keen that an Built-in Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition was launched by Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK. Right here the nations will work collectively beneath Ukrainian management on the creation of a pan European missile defence system referred to as ‘Freyja’, which can complement the Patriot and SAMP/T missile programs already in place.
The idea will utilise a Ukrainian designed and constructed Fireplace Level’s FP-7.X interceptor, while the European companions will present the radar, monitoring and command-and-control programs. It will hopefully permit Ukraine to subject a weapon system designed to hit a ballistic goal at roughly 15 miles altitude inside as little as twelve months.
FirePoint has offered a Ukrainian counterpart to the Patriot SAM missile – the FP-7.x. An anti-aircraft missile designed for the Ukrainian “Freya” missile protection system. The FP-7.x is able to reaching speeds of 1,500-2,000 m/s and has a size of seven.25 meters. pic.twitter.com/lIo24ONkx1
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) July 13, 2026
The Coalition’s leaders have been joined by representatives from a number of European protection corporations who will work collectively to supply the system, together with: Destinus, Diehl Defence, Eurosam, Fireplace Level, HENSOLDT, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, Saab, Safran, Thales and Weibel Scientific.
“We imagine that the safety of Europe requires a world resolution of built-in missile defence structure to discourage and defeat future missile threats – developed by way of collective effort, technological openness, and trusted industrial cooperation,” officers wrote within the joint assertion formalizing the brand new coalition.
