France’s Air and Space Force expects to receive just two new Rafale fighters in 2027 while retiring additional Mirage 2000-5 jets. AeroTime reports that the country’s existing combat aircraft are already being used more than 15% above their planned utilization rate.
General Jérôme Bellanger, Chief of Staff of the French Air and Space Force, raised the fleet-pressure warning during a hearing before the National Assembly’s Defense Committee on October 14, 2026. The proposed 2027 budget allocates €4.4 billion in commitment authorizations and €1.8 billion in payment appropriations to Rafale procurement and modernization, including development of the F5 standard. Bellanger argued that the next military programming law should reconsider the overall size of France’s fighter fleet.
