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

Dimitar Glavchev

Bulgaria to offer Ukraine EUR 80 million but only if parliament approves it (update)

The position Bulgaria is going to the NATO summit with indicates that Bulgaria could offer Ukraine EUR 80 million , caretaker PM Dimitar Glavchev told reporters in parliament. However, he added that whatever the sum, it can only become fact..

published on 7/5/24 2:55 PM

Hungary urges EU to dispatch border guards to the borders of Bulgaria and Greece

Hungary’s Deputy Interior Minister Bence Retvari stated that the abolition of Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen borders by land is very important to the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU. We want to reach a decision by the end of the..

published on 7/5/24 1:30 PM
Boyko Borissov

Bulgaria will not be giving cash to Ukraine

Yesterday, a new attempt was made to insinuate that Bulgaria would give cash to Ukraine, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said in parliament. At the closed session of the National Assembly discussing the NATO Summit in Washington, it became..

published on 7/5/24 11:06 AM