Defense Minister: The situation in the Air Force is complicated

The situation in the Bulgarian Air Force is complicated, and the only solution at the moment is the MiG-29, however unpleasant that may be for some, Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov said during a hearing before Parliament’s Defense Committee. He added that, for him, it makes no difference whether the aircraft conducting air policing are MiG-29s or F-16s. According to the minister, there is no source from which Bulgaria can obtain second-hand F-16s.

• Sofia hopes to receive MiG-29 spare parts from Warsaw

“This morning I received a letter from Saab, the manufacturer of the Gripen fighter, which also states that there is no possibility of providing us with second-hand aircraft”, he said. In his words, the only option is to acquire spare parts for the MiG-29 from Poland, but Poland is yet to respond to Bulgaria's request.

Dimitar Stoyanov stressed that if anything were to happen to the existing MiG-29s, Bulgaria would be left with only eight F-16s, which are insufficient for air policing. Therefore, the Ministry of Defense will do everything possible to obtain parts for the MiG-29s from Poland, Hungary, or another country that is not subject to restrictions.

“The goal is for Bulgaria to protect its airspace on its own as a reliable ally, because we have committed to maintaining a certain number of aircraft on standby", he concluded.

Edited by Diana Tsankova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov