Ukraine Strikes Back: 40,000 Russian Troops Lost in Kursk Offensive
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that Russia has suffered significant losses in its six-month-long Kursk operation
Bulgaria's Defense Ministry has signed a deal to acquire 10 MiG-29 engines from Russia, officials say.
The contract was signed with a Russian company which will deliver the first two repaired engines by April 30, 2017. Two engines are to be delivered to Bulgaria every month afterwards until all have been received.
The Defense Ministry argues that the new contract, dated November 09, will allow to make five more MiGs flyworthy next year.
In October, a tender launched for the procurement of the engines was scrapped as a single bidder had appeared, allegedly demanding higher-than-normal prices.
However, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov told private bTV station on Wednesday that the contract, sealed with an unnamed Russian company, had a price tag of BGN 42 M, considerably higher than the BGN 30 M envisaged in the tender stage.
Capital daily cites its own sources who say the engines will be supplied by Aviostart, the Bulgarian company that took part in the tender, but will be purchased by RSK MIG, the original equipment manufacturer.
Initially, Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev had insisted Bulgaria will go for Russian-made ones, but these would not be supplied by Russia.
Last year, Bulgaria also signed with Poland a deal to overhaul six MiG-29 engines of aircraft that are in service with the Bulgarian Air Force.
The MiG-s' flying capacity has to be urgently extended as the approved procurement of sixteen new or repaired aircraft by the end of the year will only result in Bulgaria using the jets in 2020. It will need to extent the MiGs' flying capacity to conduct joint air-policing missions with NATO partners by the time.
The aircraft deal is not expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has reported a significant rise in the number of individuals interested in joining the military
A joint contingent of border security officers from Bulgaria, Austria, Romania, and Hungary will officially begin operations today
Bulgaria has officially received its first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet at a ceremony held at Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Greenville, South Carolina
Lockheed Martin is officially handing over the first of eight F-16 fighter jets to the Bulgarian Air Force
Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov will travel to the United States for a three-day visit starting January 29
The Bulgarian Naval Forces have been maintaining a heightened state of readiness for mine countermeasures to ensure safe navigation in the country's maritime territory
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