site.btaCabinet Approves LV 3 Bln Projects for Modernization of Armed Forces

Cabinet Approves LV 3 Bln Projects for Modernization of Armed Forces

Sofia, March 30 (BTA) - The Bulgarian government approved Wednesday three modernization projects worth some 3 billion leva: one for the procurement of a new type of multirole fighter aircraft for the Bulgarian Air Force, another one for purchase of engines for MiG-29 aircraft and a third one for two patrol craft for the Navy, Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev told the press as he emerged from the government's weekly meeting.

Bulgaria will purchase a squadron of 12 to 19 fighters for some 800-900 million leva. The Minister said it remains to be decided whether these will be old or new planes.

The deal will be contracted by the public procurement legislation, the Minister said.

Bulgaria will also purchase four or six enginess for MiG-29, new or refurbished.

The Minister said that there is no risk for the Air Force to be landed due to a lack of airworthy aircraft. Bulgaria has enough MiG-29 to patrol the national air space, he said. "We now have seven and after the purchase of the engines we will probably have 12," he added.

Nenchev said that a project for acquisition of armoured vehicles for the Land Forces was not on the government's agenda Wednesday and it needs to be re-written.

Earlier in March Land Forces Commander Gen. Andrei Botsev said that the Land Forces have a project for purchase of some 250 armoured combat vehicles and auxiliary vehicles for three EU Battlegroups. He said the Land Forces would insist that the armoured vehicles themselves be manufactured jointly with Bulgarian companies, as well as that as many as possible Bulgarian companies share in the entire equipment of the vehicles. The estimated cost approximates 1,000 million leva, but Botsev specified that, if manufactured jointly, the vehicles come cheaper.