French air chief says fighter strain will worsen as only two Rafales arrive in 2027

France's Air and Space Force will take delivery of only two Rafale fighters in 2027 and will keep withdrawing Mirage 2000-5 aircraft, Chief of Staff General Jérôme Bellanger said. He gave the figure on October 14, 2026, at a hearing of the National Assembly's Defense Committee, where lawmakers were reviewing the proposed 2027 defense budget.

The existing combat fleet is already being used about 15% more than its planned utilization rate, Bellanger said. Before summer 2026, roughly 80% of France's fighters were committed at the same time to a nuclear deterrence exercise, operations in the Middle East, NATO's eastern flank, an exercise in Côte d'Ivoire, and standing air policing duties. "Overusing the fleet will no longer be enough tomorrow," he said.

The draft 2027 budget sets aside €4.4 billion in commitment authorizations and €1.8 billion in payment appropriations for Rafale procurement and modernization, including work on the F5 standard. Bellanger argued that the next military programming law has to look again at the overall size of the fighter force.

He made a comparable argument to the Senate in May 2026, saying France needed more Rafales before the F5 standard reaches service in 2033. Buying additional F4-standard aircraft in the interim could be an option, he said.

Plans to expand France's nuclear deterrence posture will add further demand, with effects not only on aircraft numbers but also on personnel, training, infrastructure and support, he said.