A French Mirage 2000-5F fighter jet destroyed a Russian small-sized cruise missile S8000 “Banderol” for the first time using its onboard 30-mm cannon.
This was reported by the French pro-Ukrainian resource French Aid to Europe. It claims that the Mirage 2000-5F became the first Western fighter aircraft to successfully destroy the Russian S8000 “Banderol” cruise missile using its onboard cannon.
Late-night information: the Mirage 2000-5F was the first western fighter aircraft to destroy a Russian S8000 Banderol cruise missile with the cannon. In 2025, France took 4️⃣ Mirage 2000-5F from its Air Force’s stocks and transferred them to Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/rtg8LMeocP
— French Aid to Europe 🇨🇵 🇪🇺 (@aidefranceukr) October 1, 2026
The Mirage 2000-5F is a French multirole fighter equipped with two built-in 30-mm automatic DEFA 554 cannons. Each cannon has an ammunition load of 125 rounds, and the maximum technical rate of fire is 1,800 rounds per minute.
| Specification | Mirage 2000-5F / DEFA 554 |
| Gun armament | 2 × DEFA 554 |
| Caliber | 30 mm |
| Ammunition load | 125 rounds per cannon |
| Maximum rate of fire | up to 1,800 rds/min |
| Cannon type | revolver automatic |
| Ammunition type | 30×113 mm |
| Muzzle velocity | approx. 810–830 m/s |
The DEFA 554 is a time-tested French aircraft cannon. Its design uses a revolver mechanism, which enables a high rate of fire. For air combat, a mode of up to 1,800 rounds per minute is provided. The high density of fire makes the cannon potentially suitable for engaging small aerial targets at short range.
Intercepting a missile with cannon fire requires very precise aiming: the target moves at high speed, and the window for opening fire is brief. In the case of the DEFA 554, the advantage lies precisely in the large number of rounds that can be fired in a very short time. The fighter does not need to score a hit with a single round — the task is to create a dense burst along the target’s flight path.
Cannon interception is a classic concept for engaging aerial targets. What is unusual in this case is the use of such armament against the S8000 cruise missile.
The S8000 “Banderol” is a Russian small-sized cruise missile associated with the company Kronshtadt. According to available data, its maximum speed is approximately 620–650 km/h, while its cruising speed is 520–560 km/h.
The missile uses a Chinese Swiwin turbojet engine weighing approximately 8.5 kg. A range of up to 500 km is claimed for the S8000.
| Specification | S8000 “Banderol” |
| Class | small-sized cruise missile |
| Developer | Kronshtadt |
| Maximum speed | 620–650 km/h |
| Cruising speed | 520–560 km/h |
| Declared range | up to 500 km |
| Engine | Swiwin, turbojet |
| Engine weight | approx. 8.5 kg |
| Warhead | OFBCH-150 |
| Warhead weight | 114.3 kg |
| Explosive charge | 49.5 kg |
The OFBCH-150 fragmentation-high-explosive warhead has a total weight of 114.3 kg, of which 49.5 kg is explosive.
