The first two F-16 planes will be in Bulgaria by the end of April, with one ready fighter remaining in the United States for training, announced the acting Minister of Defense, Atanas Zapryanov, according to the Bulgarian National Radio.
The first combat aircraft will be accepted on January 31 in Greenville. It is expected that a total of eight out of the 16 purchased combat planes will be received by the end of the year, Zapryanov added.
Two patrol frigates are also expected to be received by the end of the year, to be used in the Black Sea, announced Atanas Zapryanov: "70% of Bulgaria's exports pass through the Black Sea, meaning that blocking the Black Sea would also block the economies of Romania, Bulgaria, and a large part of Europe, so in this regard, we will continue to ensure security in the Black Sea."
On Wednesday, a Bulgarian admiral will take command of the mine countermeasure group in the Black Sea, announced the acting Minister of Defense and presented further measures to improve defense capabilities.
"By the end of the year, we also expect to receive the first batch of Striker combat vehicles, which will be assembled in the Bulgarian company "Terem Ivaylo" - Veliko Tarnovo. In addition, we are planning to acquire 155mm artillery installations and unmanned aerial vehicles," he stated.
The first IRIS-T division is expected to be available by the end of 2027. According to Atanas Zapryanov, there will be prolonged instability in the coming years.
5214 | 13 Jan. 2025 | 16:28
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