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Bulgaria risks being unable to carry air defence combat duty: caretaker defence minister

Caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov
Photo: BGNES

“There is a risk of Bulgaria’s air force being incapable of carrying combat duty,” said caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov as he presented his team. “The MIG-29 aircraft will be fit for action until mid-2023. Negotiations are underway with Poland for the overhaul of at least six MIG-29s there,” Minister Stoyanov said. The ministry is also looking into the possibility of leasing aircraft, he added.

“The first F-16s will arrive in 2025 and will be ready to become operational no earlier than the end of 2026. This means that for the space of 3-4 years we are going to have a serious problem with the country’s air policing,” Minister Stoyanov said, and pointed to the purchase of the second batch of 8 F-16 aircraft as a priority.



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