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The modernization of the Bulgarian army requires 3-4% of country's GDP

Photo: BGNES

Bulgaria has to decide this year whether it will in any way extend its stock of MiG-29. At the Conference of Bulgaria's Chief of Defense in Sofia, with the participation of President Rumen Radev, it became clear that the option for a replacement platform until the arrival of the first F-16s in 2025 is not being implemented. 

Air Force experts emphasized that parts for the MiGs are hard to be delivered. The Bulgarian Air Force performs its duties in conditions of a deficit of financial and material resources and a lack of aviation equipment. However, continuous Air Policing duty has always been and will always be a top priority. 

The Bulgarian ground forces also recognized the need for funds to implement the modernization projects and demanded a clear political commitment from the state to the development of combat capabilities. 

For its part, the Bulgarian Navy reported that because of the war in Ukraine, many of the originally planned events were postponed or canceled. On the other hand, the control of shipping and the protection of maritime communications have been strengthened. According to the caretaker Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov, due to the nearly 30-year delay in the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, financial resources to the tune of 3-4% of the country's GDP are currently needed.



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