site.btaAir Force Firefighting Helicopters Increased from Three to Six This Year

Six helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will be available to fight wildfires in 2025, which is double the number in 2024, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said at question time in the National Assembly on Friday. He said the Defence Ministry made considerable efforts to increase the firefighting equipment. It secured BGN 41.3 million in additional funding for the purpose towards the close of 2024.

Twelve adequately trained air crews will be on standby in the summer, allowing the simultaneous use of at least four fire suppression helicopters at any given moment. The necessary resources have been set aside for flight training of firefighting crews from the Krumovo Air Base in 2025, Zapryanov said.

In July 2024, the Council of Ministers approved a BGN 1 million outlay for the acquisition of Bambi Bucket helicopter firefighting systems. The procedure is at the stage of signing a contract with the selected supplier after the Commission for Protection of Competition gave the greenlight for it, Zapryanov said.

The Air Force has drawn up a concept for the development of Bulgaria's aerial firefighting capacities, which envisions the acquisition of another two or three Spartan airplanes, the minister explained. No funding has been allocated in 2025 for their purchase.