CC-DB Co-leader Petkov: Bulgarian Defence Strategy Is to Modernize Bulgarian Army with 21st Century Technology

Yoanna Vodenova

CC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov in Parliament, Nov. 15, 2023 (BTA Photo)

Sofia,

15.11.2023 14:13

(BTA)

The Bulgarian defence strategy is to modernize the Bulgarian army with 21st century technology, Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) co-chair Kiril Petkov said in the course of the debate on the no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition to the government of Nikolay Denkov over defence policy.

Defence based on old Russian machines may evoke nostalgia in some, but in reality, their current implementation and real combat capability is many times worse than the technologies the Bulgarian government is acquiring under the current modernization strategy, Petkov said. For example, F-16 Block 70 radars can track 20 targets and detect airborne, ground targets at a range of 300 kilometers, and a one-square-meter target can be detected 135 kilometers away, Petkov noted. He said the MiG-29 can track a maximum of only ten targets and detect air and ground targets at a maximum of 245 km, or 55 km less than the F-16 Block 70's capabilities. According to Petkov, the new warplanes would provide a 40-second reaction time, which could be the difference between mission success and failure. These 40 seconds could be the difference between life and death for the Bulgarian pilot, he stressed.

Petkov stressed that the even though debate constantly revolves around how expensive modernization is, it is one which could spare thousands of lives.

He expressed his belief that the Bulgarian army deserves the best defence technology, that air and land forces should be modernized simultaneously, and that there should be interoperability with the country's NATO allies.

"That is why I am glad that we are acquiring both the F-16 Block 70 and the land-based Strykers at the same time, because this way the Bulgarian army can have a defence capability that is truly modern," Petkov said. According to him, it is the only way Bulgaria can provide proper security for its citizens and be a fitting NATO ally. He said that modernization can also have a "deterrent effect, thus preventing Bulgaria from ever being drawn into war".

/DD/