The Bulgarian Army will shed 7 100 people by 2014, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov has confirmed.
As part of a reform plan, the army will lay off 5 700 soldiers and 1 400 civilians over the next four years in order to downsize its expenses, Angelov explained Thursday.
At the same time, about 20% of spots for professional soldiers that are supposed to be shed are not occupied at the moment so the actual number of layoffs will be smaller.
At present, the Defense Ministry has 44 100 employees; of those, the military staff is 34 500. The landed forces, i.e. the army is supposed to number 32 000 but about 2 000 of the spots for professional soldiers remain open.
"If we exclude the very beginning of the third Bulgarian state (i.e. 1880s), Bulgaria's armed forces never provided for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country on their own. But we cannot cut out the army altogether," the Defense Minister explained emphasizing that the government's national security vision relies on NATO's collective security system.
The most important question for Angelov is what kind of armed forces Bulgaria can afford in the present economic environment.
He said that in 2011 the Defense Ministry will have a budget of BGN 990 M, BGN 100 M more than in 2010. Yet, the additional fund will go for capital spending – construction and repairs of existing facilities. Angelov himself has demanded more money.
The minister has reminded the upcoming deal for the purchase of fighter jets for the Bulgarian Air Force saying that the Defense Ministry will need a greater budget in the next couple of years but that it will be spent rationally.