France will begin training the first Ukrainian pilots on Rafale fighter jets in November 2026, said French Minister for the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin during parliamentary hearings on 8 October. This was reported by Defence News.
Briefly about the main points
- Catherine Vautrin described November as the month when training on the Rafale began.
- The training forms part of the Franco-Ukrainian roadmap announced in July.
- The first four Rafales are to be handed over once the pilots and mechanics have completed their training.
- Macron predicted that the first Rafales would appear in Ukrainian skies in 2028–2029.
The statement sets out the details of the previously agreed plan
During the hearings on France’s defence budget for 2027 Votren said that the initial training of Ukrainian pilots at Rafale It will begin «in November», according to Defence News. There is no publicly available transcript of these hearings in the materials accessible to the editorial team; therefore, the date is taken from the minister’s remarks as reported by the publication.
This is not a new agreement between Kyiv and Paris, but rather a more detailed version of the previously announced roadmap. A joint declaration by the Presidents of Ukraine and France dated 14 July stated that the training programme for Ukrainian pilots and mechanics in France could begin as early as 2026. On 5 October, the Office of the President of Ukraine also announced that training was expected to begin in the near future.
The preparations were linked to the delivery of the first aircraft
In July, Ukraine announced an order for the first 16 Rafale aircraft, along with their armament. The joint declaration does not disclose the details of the contract, but states that the first four aircraft will be handed over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces once the training programme for Ukrainian pilots and mechanics has been completed.
The Rafale’s armament package includes AASM bombs, MICA and Meteor missiles, as well as laser-guided anti-drone missiles. Their delivery is planned to coincide with the operational deployment of the fighter aircraft.
Timeline for the Rafale’s arrival in Ukraine
In July, the President of France Emmanuel Macron stated that the first Rafale aircraft, equipped with the appropriate armament, are expected to take to the skies over Ukraine in 2028–2029.
The first 16 aircraft form part of the declaration of intent to purchase 100 Rafale aircraft, signed in November 2025. The July agreements also provide for the licensed production in Ukraine of AASM aerial bombs and SCALP missiles; the document records the authorisation and intention to commence work, but does not confirm that production has already begun.
