Bulgaria receives first €489 million in SAFE defence funding

Bulgaria has received its first payment under the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument, amounting to €489 million out of a total allocation of around €3.3 billion.

Nine projects are expected to be financed through the EU loan, including the acquisition of three-dimensional radars, expected to be supplied by France, BNR reporter Dobromir Videv said.

Plans also include ground-based air and missile defence systems, 155-mm ammunition, unmanned aerial vehicles, and systems for detecting and countering drones.

Further payments will be made as agreed milestones are met and the respective investments progress.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova