site.btaParliament Greenlights Projects for Procurement of Armoured Vehicles for Land Forces, Jet Fighters for Air Force

Sofia, June 8 (BTA) - The Bulgarian National Assembly Friday voted, 151-7 with one abstention, to approve a resolution on an Investment Expenditure Project for the Acquisition of Core Combat Equipment for Battalion-size Battlegroups within a Mechanized Brigade and on an Updated Investment Expenditure Project for the Acquisition of a New Type of Combat Aircraft.

The equipment under both projects will be purchased in two stages.

A total of 150 armoured vehicles for three battalion-size battlegroups are to be purchased in the first stage of the project for core equipment. The second stage includes the purchase of systems, additional equipment and provision of training. The timeframe for the project is twelve years, and its estimated price is 1.464 billion leva, VAT inclusive.

Sixteen new jet fighters are to be purchased in the second project. Less than eight aircraft will be purchased in the first stage, for a price of 1.8 billion leva, VAT-inclusive, which also includes ground maintenance, training, and a three-year initial integrated logistical maintenance.

Kornelia Ninova, leader of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said that her party supported the resolution because the two projects meet the BSP's two conditions - the expenditure does not exceed two per cent of the Gross Domestic Product and the fact that the Bulgarian defence industry will be involved.

Vesselin Mareshki, leader of the opposition Volya party, reiterated his position that "the projects are the biggest rip-off of the century". Mareshki accused Ninova that BSP's position changed after her meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Sofia on Thursday.

The opposition Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) said that the risk to the two projects is directly connected with the political will of the incumbents to implement. MRF's Jeihan Ibryamov recalled that there are three, and not two, investment project for the armed forces but that the Defence Ministry does not admit it is not ready with the project for the purchase of two patrol vessels.