Ukraine acquires 16 Rafales and licenses for SCALP and Aster-30 production

Ukraine acquires 16 Rafales and licenses for SCALP and Aster-30 production

Ukraine plans to procure 16 Rafales and receive licenses to manufacture SCALP and Aster-30 missiles, while two SAMP/T batteries are scheduled for immediate delivery.

Ukraine will receive four Rafale aircraft upon completion of pilot and mechanic training, which will begin this year, and two SAMP/T batteries will be delivered to Ukraine immediately. The announcement was made by French President Emmanuel Macron following the Coalition of the Will meeting in Paris on July 13, 2026, along with an explanation of the agreement published in a joint declaration.

“This includes a project to acquire 16 Rafale aircraft and their accompanying weapon systems. The first flight could take place as early as 2028-2029 and training of personnel could begin in the coming months,” he said. The aircraft is one of 100 that France and Ukraine originally planned to acquire in November 2025.

However, it is not yet known whether this will be a newly built aircraft or will come from existing French stocks. Dassault currently has a backlog of orders for 220 Rafales awaiting production, so it’s possible that some of these 16 aircraft may be used.

image 2 Rafale With SCALPimage 2 Rafale With SCALP
This Rafale fighter shows off its capabilities by being equipped with 2 MICA IR (wingtips), 2 MICA EM, 2 SCALP/Storm Shadow, and 3 fuel tanks. (Image credit: Alexandre Paringaux/MBDA)

These aircraft will be paid for using Ukraine-backed loans in 2026 and 2027 along with other forms of financing, indicating that this is not a direct transfer of obsolete military equipment, which has been carried out free of charge to Ukraine so far. Each aircraft will be joined by a variety of air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons, including AASM bombs, MICA and METEOR missiles.

Ukraine will also receive newly tested 68mm laser-guided anti-drone rockets for the Rafale under the program name Lutte anti-drone sur avion de Combat (LADAC, meaning anti-drone capability for combat aircraft). The missile is launched from a pod of 12 Thales Telson JF12 rockets and operates in the same manner as the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) used on both US and UK aircraft.

Along with the delivery of these weapon systems, France has approved the licensed production of AASM bombs and SCALP missiles in Ukraine before the end of 2026, with the intention of starting production as soon as possible.

On the air and ballistic missile defense front, Ukraine plans to purchase two SAMP/T batteries on a short-term loan to supplement the small number of Patriot missiles currently available. These systems will be replaced by four newly built SAMP/T NG batteries, which will be paid for through a Ukraine-backed loan.

Additionally, Ukraine will acquire five GM400 radars, one GF300 radar and one Kronos radar, which will improve the radar situation across Ukraine. Each component of SAMP/T NG will be supplied as soon as it is manufactured, and the GF300 radar is expected to be deployed domestically by the end of 2026.

France and Italy have approved licensed production of Aster 30 missiles in Ukraine, beginning to accelerate deliveries of Aster 30 missiles they have already agreed to supply to Ukraine. The Aster 30 will be capable of shooting down ballistic missiles launched by Russia, which will help alleviate the strain currently placed on Patriot PAC-3 missiles.

The supply of 16 Rafales will also join 32 Gripen C/D/E/Fs committed to delivery to Ukraine over the next few years, transitioning the Ukrainian Air Force into the future. The country already operates a significant number of F-16 Fighting Falcons and a small number of Mirage 2000-5s, along with an ever-diminishing fleet of former Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrums, Su-27 Flankers, Su-24 Fencers and Su-25 Frogfoots.

The supply of 4.5 generation aircraft will strengthen Ukraine’s air combat capabilities and enable Ukraine to fight the ongoing Russian invasion.

Ballistic Missile Defense and Freya Program

The decision to allow Ukraine to produce its own missiles for air defense and offensive purposes follows a similar decision by US President Trump to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot PAC-3 missiles for the anti-ballistic missile role. The ongoing war with Iran has now placed a premium on air defense missiles in the Gulf region, and Patriot has been re-prioritized for the defense of U.S. bases in the region.

Gulf countries Qatar and Kuwait also placed emergency orders for Patriot missiles from the United States, placing a significant burden on the U.S. production line.

As a result, Ukraine has re-prioritized a reliable supply of PAC-3 missiles from abroad, which has led the Ukrainian Air Force to say there is a “serious shortage” of interceptor missiles for ballistic missile defense in Ukraine. On July 5, 2026, none of the 23 ballistic missiles launched by Russia at Kiev were intercepted, causing significant damage to the capital, killing 15 people and wounding 56.

Subsequently, Ukraine’s lack of anti-aircraft missiles drew attention at the NATO summit in Ankara, where President Trump pledged to produce Ukraine’s own PAC-3 missiles. This benefits both Ukraine and the United States, with Ukraine receiving guaranteed missile supplies and the United States expanding its international production capacity in case it needs to surge production in a future crisis.

image 3 SAMPTimage 3 SAMPT
The SAMP/T NG (New Generation Surface-to-Air Missile Platform) battery consists of four main components: a C2 engagement module, a 360-degree multi-function radar that can be either Thales Ground Fire 300 or Leonardo Ground Mobile High Power, and up to six launchers each capable of carrying eight missiles, capable of launching a total of 48 Aster missiles. (Image source: Eurosam)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to allies at this week’s NATO summit to take a “strong decision” to provide air defenses to Kiev, and he appears likely to do so in the long term.

It was also announced at the Coalition of Willers conference in Paris that Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom have launched an integrated anti-ballistic missile alliance. Here, the countries will work jointly under Ukrainian leadership for the creation of a pan-European missile defense system called ‘Freyja’ that will complement the already deployed Patriot and SAMP/T missile systems.

The concept will utilize Fire Point’s Ukrainian designed and built FP-7.X interceptor, while European partners will provide radar, tracking and command and control systems. This will allow Ukraine to field a weapons system designed to hit ballistic targets at altitudes of approximately 15 miles within 12 months.

The coalition’s leaders were joined by representatives from several European defense companies who will collaborate to produce the system, including Destinus, Diehl Defence, Eurosam, Fire Point, HENSOLDT, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, Saab, Safran, Thales and Weibel Scientific.

“We believe that protecting Europe requires a global solution of an integrated missile defense architecture to deter and defeat future missile threats, developed through joint efforts, technological openness and trustworthy industry cooperation,” officials wrote in a joint statement formalizing the new coalition.

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