site.btaDraft Resolution on Procurement of Armoured Vehicles for Land Forces, Jet Fighters for Air Force Approved at Committee Stage in Parliament

Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - The Bulgarian National Assembly Defence Committee Tuesday voted, 12-0 with six abstentions, to approve a draft 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.

Tasko Ermenkov MP of BSP for Bulgaria said that the Socialists have always backed the efforts to strengthen the country's national security. "The modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces is necessary but must go hand in hand with upgrading the status of service persons, their pay and motivation," he pointed out and declared that his parliamentary group will abstain in the vote.

Simeon Simeonov MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms declared support for the projects and noted that politicians must be consolidated and show maturity and statesmanlike thinking on the matter. "The military badly need the implementation of these projects so as to have up-to-date hardware, in parallel with the perquisites. Otherwise, we will remain mere security consumers rather than security generators," he commented.

The United Patriots also called for support to the projects. "If we delay this move for several more years, it will be fatally late," the parliamentary group warned.

Brigadier General Valeri Tsolov, Deputy Commander of the Land Forces, explained that the first investment project will be a substantial step and a basis for building and development of the Land Forces mechanized elements. The project envisages the procurement of 150 armoured vehicles (not fewer than 90 combat vehicles and not fewer than 60 special-purpose and support vehicles) at two stages, at the cost of 1,200 million leva.

Major General Tsanko Stoikov, Commander of the Air Force, said that the second project is intended to overcome the deficit of capabilities, to free radio frequency spectrum for civilian uses, and to end the dependence on non-NATO and non-EU countries for maintenance of the fighter aviation. The project envisages the procurement of 16 aircraft (not fewer than eight at the first stage). The first-stage timeframe for delivery is up to 72 months after the effective date of the contract, and the second stage is to begin after the first-stage deliveries have been completed and a contract for that stage has been concluded. The financial framework for the first stage is 1,800 million leva inclusive of VAT.

In mid-May the Council of Ministers adopted a decision according to which the Defence Ministry will invite bids for 5 new and 7 second-hand fighter aircraft from seven countries. The US will be approached about newly manufactured F-16 block 60 (or 70) and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, as well as used F-16 modernized up to OFP M6 version, and second-hand F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Portugal will be asked to offer F-16 MLU OFP M6 with US-made logistics and armaments. Israel is expected to submit an offer for used F-16 C/D, modernized to OFP M6 version. Italy will have to respond about second-hand Eurofighter Tranche 1, and Germany about a new Eurofighter Tranche 3. France is supposed to submit a proposal for new and used Dassault Rafale. Sweden will be requested to offer new and used Gripen C/D, modernized up to the current configuration in service in Hungary and the Czech Republic.