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

Two Egyptian vultures have hatched in the Rhodopes

The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds announced the first successful hatching of Egyptian vultures in the wild in our country. The bird is considered the most endangered species on the Balkan Peninsula. The female..

published on 7/6/24 3:28 PM
Kiril Petkov

PP-DB will not negotiate with "Vazrazhdane" for a new government

From his Facebook profile, the co-chairman of "We Continue the Change" Kiril Petkov announced that the PP-DB coalition will not negotiate with "Vazrazhdane" to form a cabinet. He defined as "media suggestions" the claims that such..

published on 7/6/24 2:20 PM

Ukrainian embassy urges officials not to use the topic of war for political purposes

The Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria has called on officials and political forces to refrain from using the topic of the war for political purposes. The diplomatic mission emphasizes that Ukrainians pay the most terrible price every day..

published on 7/6/24 11:28 AM