Bulgaria Awaits Price Stability Milestone to Seek Eurozone Readiness Report
Bulgaria will request a convergence report from the European Commission regarding its readiness to join the Eurozone once the country fulfills the price stability criterion
Bulgaria will spend about BGN 2.42 B (EUR 1.24 B) to keep airborne its MiG-29s fighter jets and acquire new warplanes as well as patrol ships under a defence procurement investment plan approved by the government, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.
The cabinet approved the three investment projects earlier on Wednesday.
The investment project for securing the airworthiness of at least 10 Russian-built MiG-29s (eight MiG-29A plus two MiG-29 UB combat/trainer version) will be implemented in 2016-2017, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The acquisition of new combat aircraft will be made in two stages. A contract for acquiring eight aircraft from 2018 to 2021 will be signed by the end of 2016. Another eight aircraft will be acquired between 2022 and 2023.
Bulgaria also plans to acquire two multi-purpose patrol ships with modular design for its Navy. The project will be implemented over five years, the Defence Ministry said without giving a timeframe.
Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov has implemented a 30% salary increase for the Bulgarian Army
Bulgaria is set to receive the first two F-16 fighter jets it purchased from the United States in April
On January 15, a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters in Varna will mark the handover of command of the Naval Mine Countermeasures Group in the Black Sea
By the end of April, Bulgaria is set to receive the first two of its eight F-16 fighter jets, with the first delivery scheduled for January 31 in Greenville. Acting Minister of Defense Atanas
Bulgaria is set to participate in NATO's largest exercise of 2025, "Steadfast Dart 2025" (STDT25), which will be held across Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania in the first quarter of the year
Former Bulgarian Defense Minister Prof. Todor Tagarev described the idea of NATO countries allocating 5% of GDP to defense as unrealistic, labeling it a significant financial burden
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