Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria risks being unable to carry air defence combat duty: caretaker defence minister

Caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov
Photo: BGNES

“There is a risk of Bulgaria’s air force being incapable of carrying combat duty,” said caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov as he presented his team. “The MIG-29 aircraft will be fit for action until mid-2023. Negotiations are underway with Poland for the overhaul of at least six MIG-29s there,” Minister Stoyanov said. The ministry is also looking into the possibility of leasing aircraft, he added.

“The first F-16s will arrive in 2025 and will be ready to become operational no earlier than the end of 2026. This means that for the space of 3-4 years we are going to have a serious problem with the country’s air policing,” Minister Stoyanov said, and pointed to the purchase of the second batch of 8 F-16 aircraft as a priority.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Nikola Nikolov - Pascal has been detained in Serbia

Nikola Nikolov - Pascal, considered one of the largest smugglers, has been arrested in Serbia during a joint operation by Bulgarian and Serbian special services. The name of the detainee gained notoriety during the arrest of former National..

published on 9/29/24 11:31 AM

Museum visits by foreign tourists increase by 56.4%

The number of visits of foreign tourists to Bulgarian  museums in 2023 was 988,000, according to data from the National Statistical Institute. This is an increase of 56.4% compared to the previous year, said Deputy Minister of Tourism Pavlin Petrov...

published on 9/29/24 9:45 AM

Diplomats play football with a team of refugees in charity tournament

Representatives of the diplomatic missions in Sofia together with a team of refugees and youth and student organizations will participate in a charity football tournament on the grounds of the National Football Base "Boyana" in the..

published on 9/29/24 9:25 AM