The Associated Press

Bulgaria has scrapped plans to replace some of its Russian-made military aircraft with U.S. F-16 jet fighters, a senior army officer said.

The government will instead repair and refurbish its 21 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters in an effort to upgrade its force meet NATO military standards. Bulgaria hopes to receive an invitation to join NATO during the alliance`s summit next year.

Only three of the fighters are in working condition due to lack of spare parts, said Gen. Dimitar Georgiev, air defense commander. The country`s 235-plane air force also includes older Soviet-made MiG-23, MiG-21 and Su-25 fighters.

The previous government of former prime minister Ivan Kostov considered replacing the MiG-29s with American F-16 fighters so that the fleet would fulifill NATO requirements.

But because the country could only afford used planes — which could require extensive and costly repairs — officials decided to forego the purchase.

`There is no point in buying recycled U.S. planes,` Georgiev said. `They will require different navigation and auxiliary equipment.`

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