site.btaPresident Radev: Competition for New Fighter Jets to Go Back to Starting Point, Bulgarian Air Force at Risk of Getting Completely Grounded

Sofia, September 16 (BTA) - The competition for fighter jets is obviously returned to the starting point and this puts the 100-year-old Bulgaria Air Force at risk of getting completely grounded, President Rumen Radev commented for the press in Sofia Saturday. He was referring to a 1,500 million leva project for purchase of eight fighter aircraft for the Bulgarian Air Force. "It seems to me that the lobbyists have done their job and this crossed out the work of the military experts and expectations of military pilots for timely solution of this very important problem," said the President.

His comment followed a September 14 hearing by an ad hoc parliamentary committee looking into a procedure for selecting a new type of a fighter jet for the Bulgarian Air Force, after which the committee chairman said one candidate has been unfairly eliminated from the competition. He said while the committee is not going to recommend starting the procedure anew, it will aim to ensure a competition where all potential contractors are treated equally.

This will bring back to the competition an offer for used US-made F-16s to be purchased from Portugal.

The two other proposals for a new type of fighter jet are for new Gripens (Griffin) from Sweden's Saab and for used Eurofighter Typhoons from Italy. An expert working group has recommended the Swedish offer, and President Rumen Radev (a former Air Force Commander) has backed this option, too. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed reservations and GERB subsequently moved for the establishment of a parliamentary committee of inquiry to probe the selection of the Gripens and make sure there was no corruption or pressure involved.

It transpired from the remarks of the chairman of the ad hoc committee Friday that the F-16s were eliminated over the payment arrangements proposed in the offer.

The President said that returning the procedure to the starting point has been the goal of the committee all along and that it is being used for political purposes.