French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told a parliamentary committee on Oct. 8 that in November, France will begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly the Rafale fighter jet. “We are continuing our discussions regarding the combat aviation component, particularly regarding the Rafale,” Vautrin told French lawmakers in response to questions about aid to Ukraine during a 2027 defense-budget hearing, reported Defense News. “From November, we will begin the first training of Ukrainian pilots on Rafale.”

Defense News notes that, in July, Ukraine agreed to a roadmap with France that included a plan to buy 16 Rafale fighter jets together with the accompanying weapon systems. The country has previously received F-16 jets from several European countries, Mirage 2000 fighters from France. In May it agreed to buy 20 new Gripen jets, with Sweden donating 16 units of an older model. The first Rafale jets are expected to fly in Ukrainian skies in 2028 or 2029, Macron said in July, thus looking forward to indefinite conflict.