site.btaProcedure for Supply of Six New MiG-29 Engines to Be Launched This Month

Procedure for Supply of Six New MiG-29 Engines to Be Launched This Month

Graf Ignatievo, Southern Bulgaria, January 12 (BTA) - A public procurement procedure will be launched by the end of January for the supply of six new engines for the Bulgarian Air Force's MiG-29 fighter aircraft, Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said in the Graf Ignatievo Air Base on Tuesday.

Nenchev, accompanied by Colonel Dimiter Petkov, boarded a training-and-combat MiG-29 plane which performed its first flight since it acquired two engines provided by Poland in late December for use during the next 24 months or 200 flight hours, whichever expires first. Poland has undertaken to repair six engines of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighters under a 6.1 million euro agreement.

Nenchev added that Bulgaria is doing everything to make sure its Air Force is able to defend the Bulgarian skies by itself. "One of the measures to salvage the Air Force is to sign a second agreement with Poland for the servicing and upgrading of available combat aircraft. The current agreement is being implemented strictly and on schedule, which makes me optimistic that three more MiG-29s will shortly be flying with new engines," the Defence Minister said.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who attended the event at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base, said the government will try to buy back the aviation plant, which will repair MiG and other military aircraft used by Bulgaria. Borissov thanked Poland for "helping us by providing these two engines at a critical moment for the Bulgarian Air Force."

He said the renovation of the Bezmer Air Base will be completed in March.

Polish Ambassador to Bulgaria Krzysztof Krajewski said Tuesday's event was the result of Poland's good cooperation with Bulgaria.