Armée Bulgare / Bulgarian Army / Българска армия

Citation :

Bulgaria turns to Poland for MiG-29 maintenance


Bulgaria is in negotiations to shift the maintenance of its RAC MiG-29 fighters from Russia to Poland'sMilitary Aviation Works No. 2 (WZL-2) in Bydgoszcz, defence ministerNikolai Nenchev has announced.

“We must pay three times more than the manufacturer determined, because spare parts are crossed over by a few middlemen,” Nenchev said during a report aired on Bulgariantelevision channelBNT1. Sofia has also received support of a lower quality than expected, he adds.

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Nenchev expects a deal to be in place with WZL-2 by September 2015, when its current agreement with Russia will be terminated.“WZL-2 has very good capabilities, which guarantee the fulfilment of Bulgarian air force procedures and standards,” he says. However, he adds that Sofia isconcerned Moscow “will try to disturb the acquisition of spare parts" for its aircraft as a result of the decision.

WZL-2 confirms that “talks with the Bulgarian air force were held from autumn 2013, and both partners gained mutual confidence”. The Polish facility is expected to provide maintenance and overhauls for six of Bulgaria's MiG-29s, which will be involved in NATO air policing missions.

Flightglobal's MiliCAS database records the Bulgarian service as having 15 MiG-29s in active use, including UB-model trainers.

To view a detailed breakdown of Bulgaria's military aircraft inventory, download our free World Air Forces directory.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Poland Ready to Service Bulgarian MiG-29 Fighters, Defence Minister Siemoniak Says



Poland is ready to provide servicing for Bulgaria’s Russian-made MiG-29 fighter aircraft, Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has said.

"The Bulgarians would like to make repairs of their MIG-29 planes in Polish works. We have talked about it and we are ready for this," Polish news agency PAP quoted Siemoniak as saying following talks with his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolay Nenchev in Warsaw on Monday.

Bulgaria might opt to send its old MiG-29s to Poland for refurbishment, a defence industry news website reported last month.

“Sending the old fighters off to Russia for refurbishment is awkward at a time when NATO is attempting to roust the impression of additional asset rotations through Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria,” according to Defense Industry Daily.

Poland successfully installed new avionics, mission computers, a NATO-compatible databus and hardened GPS to its own MiG 29s at its military aviation works in Bydgoszcz in 2011.

Bulgaria is also interested in Poland’s experience in armed forces reform, military training and exercises and in equipment, Siemoniak said

"Our determination to strengthen cooperation results mainly from the Ukrainian-Russian crisis and implementation of decisions made at the NATO summit” held in Wales in September last year, he said.

Siemoniak and Nenchev also discussed the aspirations of Montenegro and Macedonia to join NATO, PAP said.

Nenchev will visit Latvia’s capital Riga on February 18 and 19 to take part in an informal meeting of defence ministers of the EU member states.

http://www.novinite.com

Citation :

Bulgaria to be offered JF-17 fighter by Pakistan

http://www.janes.com/article/49749/bulgaria-to-be-offered-jf-17-fighter-by-pakistan

Citation :

L’avenir incertain de l’aviation de chasse bulgare


Posté dans Europe, Otan par Laurent Lagneau Le 01-05-2015



Si plusieurs pays de l’ex-bloc soviétique, désormais membres de l’Otan, ont augmenté leurs dépenses militaires en raison de la situation dans l’est de l’Ukraine, où Moscou est accusé de soutenir l’insurrection pro-russe, ce n’est pas le cas de la Bulgarie.

Après avoir exprimé son intention de revoir à la hausse son effort de défense, Sofia a finalement réduit à nouveau ce dernier d’une quarantaine de millions de dollars pour cette année. Or, l’armée bulgare a besoin de moderniser ses capacités, notamment aériennes. Ces dernières s’appuient sur quelques MiG-21 Fishbed et une quinzaine de MiG-29 Fulcrum hérités de la période soviétique.

Et cette modernisation est d’autant plus nécessaire que les forces aériennes bulgares ont été fortement sollicitées, en 2014, pour intercepter des avions russes s’étant approché d’un peu trop près de l’espace aérien qu’elles sont censées surveiller et protéger. « La Russie provoque peut-être délibérément ces alertes afin d’épuiser le potentiel de nos avions et les capacités de l’armée bulgare », avait affirmé Anguel Naïdenov, alors ministre de la Défense.

Justement, l’entretien des MiG-29 bulgare est confié à la société  RSK MiG, dont le contrat avec Sofia prendra fin en septembre prochain. Or, pour l’actuel ministre bulgare de la Défense, Nicolaï Nenchev, il n’est pas question de le reconduire jusqu’en 2019 car les tarifs exigés par l’industriel russe sont hors de prix. « Le triple de ce qu’ils sont aujourd’hui », a-t-il affirmé.

Mais là n’est sans doute pas la seule raison. Pour Sofia, les autorités russes pourraient aussi perturber la livraison des pièces détachées destinées à la maintenance des MiG-29 étant donné que la Bulgarie est membre de l’Otan.

En janvier, il a été avancé que les forces aériennes bulgares se tourneraient vers l’entreprise polonaise WZL pour assurer l’entrentien de ses Fulcrum pendant encore au moins 6 ans, histoire de patienter avant l’achat de nouveaux avions de combat.

Seulement, lors d’un entretien accordé au quotidien Sega, au cours duquel il a affirmé avoir reçu une offre de pot-de-vin pour prolonger le contrant avec RSK MiG, ainsi que des menaces de mort (une enquête est d’ailleurs actuellement en cours), le ministre bulgare n’a avancé que deux options.

La première consisterait à acquérir de nouveaux avions de combat. Le choix se ferait entre des F-16 block 25 d’occasion prélevés sur les stocks de l’aviation américaine, des Eurofighter Typhoon de la tranche 1 vendus par l’Italie et des Saab Gripen C/D. L’offre pakistanaise portant sur des JF-18 Thunder (ou FC-1) a été écartée.

Mais comme, jusqu’ici, Sofia n’a jamais été en mesure de trouver les financements nécessaires pour un tel achat (dont il est question depuis plusieurs années), on peut avoir quelques doutes sur la concrétisation rapide de ce projet.

Quant à la seconde option, le ministre a indiqué qu’il étudiait l’idée de faire appel à l’Otan, afin que soit mise en mise en place une mission de police du ciel au profit de la Bulgarie, à l’image de celle qui est actuellement en cours dans les pays baltes.

http://www.opex360.com/2015/05/01/lavenir-incertain-de-laviation-de-chasse-bulgare/

Citation :

Quant à la seconde option, le ministre a indiqué qu’il étudiait l’idée de faire appel à l’Otan, afin que soit mise en mise en place une mission de police du ciel au profit de la Bulgarie, à l’image de celle qui est actuellement en cours dans les pays baltes.

franchement a quoi etre invité a l ótan quand on peut meme pas assurer sa propre defense?

Citation :

Bulgaria to launch fighter programme

Charles Forrester, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

21 May 2015


A US Air Force technician talks to a Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 'Fulcrum' crew chief during an exercise. Bulgaria is set to launch a
fighter procurement programme in June. Source: US Air Force


Bulgarian defence minister Nikolai Nenchev has revealed that the country is to launch a fighter procurement by the end of June.

According to Bulgarian media reports on 21 May, Nenchev told a parliamentary defence committee that the procurement would replace a number of aircraft. However, it was unclear whether this replacement would be limited to the Air Force's fleet of five MiG-21 'Fishbed' aircraft or also include the 12 MiG-29 'Fulcrum-A' aircraft.

Previous fighter modernisation plans have centred on upgrading the MiG-29 fleet and procuring second-hand Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons to replace the MiG-21 fleet. Currently, Bulgaria employs the MiG-29 for air policing missions, but it has reportedly withdrawn the MiG-21s from these duties.

At the meeting, Nenchev also said the Air Force had concluded that modernisation of the MiG-29 fleet had become a priority, with the replacement of the aircraft's engines needed to extend the life of the aircraft beyond mid-2016. Air Force Commander Major General Rumen Radev added that the air force would seek to have the upgrade made by the engine's manufacturers in Russia.

http://www.janes.com/article/51611/bulgaria-to-launch-fighter-programme

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Air Force Commander Major General Rumen Radev added that the air force would seek to have the upgrade made by the engine's manufacturers in Russia.

l´Otan appreciera

La Bulgarie va menée des discussions avec la Belgique, les Pays-Bas et la Grèce pour l'achat de F-16 de deuxième main pour remplacé les Su-25 et Mig-29.

Citation :

Bulgaria turns away from Russia for future support of MiG-29

Reuben F Johnson, Kiev - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
07 July 2015





Bulgarian defence minister Nikolai Nenchev announced on 6 July that the country's air force will cut its ties with Russia for the maintenance of its Mikoyan MiG-29 aircraft by signing an agreement with Poland to serve as a source for servicing and upgrading of these aircraft.

The support contract for Bulgaria's MiG-29s will be carried out at the Wojskowe Zaklady Lotnicze Nr 2 (Military Aircraft Works No 2, or WZL No 2) in the city of Bydgoszcz. The contract is supposed to be finalised by the end of July.

WZL No 2 has long been the maintenance base for the MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft that are still flown by the Polish Air Force and it is also the chief servicing centre for Poland's fleet of 48 US-made Lockheed Martin F-16C/D aircraft. Poland has had an indigenous upgrade programme for its own MiG-29s in process for some time now and has sought to minimise its own dependence of any kind on Russia.

Bulgaria currently operates 12 MiG-29s, but has not been looking to acquire any additional Russian fighters to replace its older MiG-21 models. Instead, Bulgaria announced last year that it had been looking to acquire used F-16s or other Western aircraft. This prompted angry comments from Russian officials like Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin, who has described Bulgaria's actions as deciding to "once again betray Russia in favour of second-hand eagles".

Nenchev's reported comment on Bulgaria's decision to service all of its MiG-29s in Poland was: "Our reproach to Russia is that it brought back something that, until recently, was unthinkable in Europe: war. I do not hesitate to say it. After seeing that the Putin regime had a particularly aggressive behaviour to a sovereign state [Ukraine], we cannot feel secure. We are negotiating with the Polish side, who are our partners in NATO and managed to break away from their dependence on Russia."

"We will do everything possible to reduce our dependence on Russia," Nenchev continued. "Bulgaria is the only NATO member that is almost 90% dependent on Russia. It worries me very much, and I would not like to continue in this way."

http://www.janes.com/article/52815/bulgaria-turns-away-from-russia-for-future-support-of-mig-29

Citation :

Textron touts Scorpion to Bulgaria in bid to secure first customer

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
14 July 2015





Textron AirLand has demonstrated the capabilities of its Scorpion aircraft to Bulgaria and others, as it looks to secure a first sale of the type during a post-Paris Air Show tour of Europe, the company disclosed in early July.

The tandem twin-seat and twin-engine jet, which is being touted as a modern, cheap, yet capable multirole platform, is being pitched to Bulgaria as that country looks to update its ageing combat aircraft inventories.

Bulgaria has been reported to be looking at surplus Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to fulfil a MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot' replacement requirement, and other offerings such as early model Eurofighter Typhoons, Saab Gripens, and even the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder have also been touted.

In the case of the Scorpion, however, it was reported by national defence aerospace publication Списание АЕРО that this particular aircraft is being touted as a possible replacement for the Bulgarian Air Force's Aero L-39ZA Albatros light strike fighters, and as a support platform to the 'new' main fighter type.

First revealed in September 2013, the Scorpion jet has been developed to suit a wide range of mission sets that include counterinsurgency, border patrol, maritime surveillance, counter-narcotics, and air defence. The aircraft is built around a 2.3 m 3 payload bay in the centre of its fuselage that can accept a variety of sensors and weapons systems, depending on the mission, up to 1,360 kg, and has six underwing hardpoints - three on each side - to carry additional sensors, fuel, or weapons up to 2,766 kg. Company-supplied performance specifications give the Scorpion a top speed of 450 kt, a service ceiling of 45,000 ft, and a ferry range of 4,450 km.

At USD20 million to procure and just USD3,000 per hour to operate, the Scorpion is significantly cheaper to both buy and field than just about any of its jet rivals (only advanced jet trainer aircraft that have a secondary light strike capability come close in terms of cost). This would make it an especially appealing option for Bulgaria, which has the need but not necessarily the budget.

As well as Bulgaria, Textron revealed ahead of the Scorpion's planned appearance at the UK's Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in mid-July that it has demonstrated the aircraft to the UK Royal Navy also. As well, it was reported to have visited the Royal Air Force's officer training college at Cranwell and QinetiQ's Empire Test Pilots' School at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. No further details were disclosed.

Speaking to IHS Jane's during the Paris Air Show in June, Textron AirLand president Bill Anderson said that a production-standard version of the Scorpion will fly in 2016, just two years after the type was first rolled out.

Citation :

Bulgaria to boost its defence spending

The Bulgarian Council of Ministers has approved a new “Plan for the Development of the Defence Capabilities of the Armed Forces 2020”. Its aim is to develop the country’s Armed Forces based on the current and projected international and regional security situation and bring them closer to NATO standards.



The document would have to be further approved by the parliament until the end of the year. The new plan will likely boost Bulgaria’s defence spending to bring it closer to the 2% cap agreed by NATO member states during the Wales Summit. Since then, NATO has been urging its members to increase their spending.

Bulgaria will try to reach the 2% cap until 2020. Its defence budget will increase next year from 1.2% to 1.35 of the GDP. The allocations of the defence budget per se will also change. Currently, the proportion is 73:21:6 between expenditures on staff, maintenance and procurement. A ratio that is quite common on many Eastern European countries. However, the new plan will bring those ratios closer to those of NATO countries. It is expected that it will be 60:20:20.

That will allow the Bulgarian Armed Forces to procure and induct new equipment while replacing obsolete or legacy systems and platforms. As for the level of manpower, the Plan assumes a force of no less than 37,000 and no more than 42,000.

However, the Bulgarian government could eventually pass an amendment in its legislation, that will allow the protection of its national airspace policing to be undertaken in cooperation with NATO allies. Romania, Slovenia and other countries in the region perform joint patrol missions with their NATO counterparts. Due to lack of funds and modern interoperable platforms, they have given the permission on the Alliance to strengthen regional security, in light of the crisis in Ukraine.




http://www.armyrecognition.com/october_2015_global_defense_security_news_uk/bulgaria_to_boost_its_defence_spending_4051020151.html

Citation :

La Bulgarie dit au revoir à ses MiG-21 !  




L'armée de l'air bulgare a organisé en cette fin d’année, une cérémonie pour marquer le départ à la retraite de ses avions de combat de type Mikoyan-Gourevitch MiG-21« Fishbed ». Un dernier vol avec deux MiG-21 monoplace et un biplace Mig-21UM1 a définitivement clos les opérations de vols réguliers, avec ce type d’aéronef.


Départ à la retraite retardé :

La flotte de MiG-21 bulgare devait initialement être mise à la retraite en 2012, mais celle-ci n’ayant pour l’instant pas encore de remplaçant et suite à de nombreux problèmes, concernant l’actuelle flotte de MiG-29 « Fulcrum », il a été décider de prolonger de quelques années la vie des « bons vieux » « Fishbed » au sein de la Force aérienne.

Le MiG-21 en Bulgarie :

La Fore aérienne bulgare a reçu ses premiers MiG-21 en 1966, un dizaines de variantes ont été utilisées durant près de cinquante années. Au total, la Bulgarie a disposé de 226 MiG-21, dont 86 appareils d’occasions, reçu entre 1986 et 1990.

Le MiG-21 a été conçu durant l’ère soviétique ( code OTAN Fishbed). Il est sans nul doute l’avion de combat le plus produit au monde avec plus de 11’000 exemplaires. Entré en service en 1960, il est le 5e avion de combat le plus utilisé dans le monde en 2012 avec, selon une estimation, 793 appareils en activité soit 5 % de la flotte mondiale d'avions de combat.

Très performant et agile, le MiG-21 est cependant peu pourvu en aides électroniques au combat et à la navigation, ce qui en fait un "avion de pilote", dont les résultats au combat dépendent grandement des compétences de celui-ci. Malgré ses faiblesses, il a été très populaire car son coût relativement bas a permis à de nombreuses armées de l'air de disposer de leur premier chasseur supersonique. Selon ses concepteurs, le MiG-21 devaient être employé en grand nombre et venir saturer l’espace aérien ennemi.

Dans l’attente d’un remplaçant :

Avec le départ à la retraite des derniers MiG-21, la Bulgarie se retrouve avec une flotte de 15 MiG-29 dont l’état pose de nombreux problèmes. Au mois de mai de cette année, le gouvernement à relancer le processus d’acquisition d’un nouvel avion de combat. La Bulgarie travaille aujourd’hui en partenariat avec l’OTAN, par conséquent le nouvel avion doit être compatible.

Deux appareils répondent à ce jour à ce type de besoins, il s’agit du Lockheed-Martin F-16C/D «Fighting Falcon» et du Saab JAS-39C/D «Gripen».

Pour ce faire, le Ministère bulgare de la défense a entamé des discussions préliminaires sur la possibilité d'acquérir d’occasion, des appareils de type F-16 auprès des utilisateurs actuelles que sont: les Pays-Bas, les États-Unis, la Belgique et la Norvège.

En parallèle des discussions sont engagées auprès de la Suède et du constructeur Saab, qui propose notamment des JAS-39C/D Gripen entièrement neufs en plus d’avions d’occasions, qui proviendraient des surplus de la Flygvapnet avec l’arrivée prochaine du Gripen E.

Derrière la volonté de moderniser sa Force aérienne, la Bulgarie cherche également à garder son indépendance en matière de sécurité aérienne.


Photos : 1 MiG-21 bulgare @Cris Lofting 2 Cérémonie d’adieu des MiG-21 @ Alexander Mladenov

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2015/12/29/la-bulgarie-dit-au-revoir-a-ses-mig-21-860479.html

Citation :

Bulgaria To Acquire New Fighter Jets by 2019
By Jaroslaw Adamowski 2:02 p.m. EST January 22, 2016


WARSAW — The Bulgarian Air Force is aiming to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-designed fighter jets with new aircraft in the next three to three-and-a-half years, said Bulgaria’s Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev, as reported by local news agency Novinite.

The government commission, which was tasked with studying the available options, is expected to submit a report on the planned procurement by the end of March, according to Nenchev.

The minister said the government is likely to sign a deal to acquire new multirole fighter jets by the end of this year. According to earlier reports, to date, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry has shortlisted three offers. These include the US F-16s, which were withdrawn from service; Sweden's Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The move is in line with the government’s plan to decrease Bulgaria’s dependency on Soviet- and Russian-made gear. When the country joined NATO in 2004, Sofia vowed to replace six of its Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters and purchase eight new aircraft by 2016.

The Bulgarian government is aiming to increase its military spending from the current 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product to 2 percent by 2024. Under the plan, 20 percent of Bulgaria’s defense expenditure is to be allocated to acquisitions of new gear.




http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/strike/2016/01/22/bulgaria-acquire-new-fighter-jets-2019/79174700/

Citation :

Migrants: la Bulgarie autorise un déploiement de l'armée à ses frontières


AFP 18/02/2016

Le Parlement bulgare a autorisé jeudi un déploiement de l'armée à ses frontières pour faire face au flux de migrants, dans ce pays qui compte 260 kilomètres de frontière terrestre avec la Turquie.

L'armée, jusqu'à présent cantonnée à un rôle de soutien logistique ponctuel, pourra patrouiller aux côtés de la police, selon une loi adoptée à une large majorité de 156 voix sur 240.

La Bulgarie a déjà déployé plus de 1.000 policiers pour garder sa frontière avec la Turquie, dont 30 kilomètres sont grillagés. Comme en Slovénie et en Autriche, les policiers pourront à l'avenir être épaulés par des militaires, selon le texte qui doit encore faire l'objet d'une seconde lecture formelle.

Plusieurs dizaines de milliers de migrants ont transité par la Bulgarie l'an passé en direction de l'ouest de l'Europe, selon les estimations. Le pays redoute qu'une partie du flux principal, qui traverse aujourd'hui la Grèce, ne se reporte sur

http://www.lorientlejour.com/article/971005/migrants-la-bulgarie-autorise-un-deploiement-de-larmee-a-ses-frontieres.html

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Thursday, 25 February 2016

Bulgaria approved the deployment of troops to boost the security of Turkey's airspace
The Bulgarian government approved on Wednesday the deployment of eight troops in support of NATO mission to boost the security of Turkey's airspace, local media reported. Troops will be deployed as of March 01, 2016, for a period of six months, the cabinet has said.







http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/2016/02/bulgaria-approved-deployment-of-troops.html

Citation :

PM: Bulgaria To Send Troops To Guard Greek Border
Agence France-Presse 2:57 p.m. EST March 6, 2016

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria will send over 400 troops and other security personnel to guard its border with Greece, amid fears the migrant flow along the Balkan route will pick up with the onset of warmer weather, the prime minister said Saturday.

“Hundreds of people, more than 400, from the army, paramilitary police and police, will stay here permanently,” said Prime Minister Boiko Borissov following security force exercises involving helicopters and armored cars at the Greek border near Macedonia.

Another 500 security personnel could be mobilized within hours if necessary, he added.

Last month Bulgaria’s parliament granted the army greater powers to help guard the country’s borders. Previously troops were only able to provide technical and logistic support.

EU member Bulgaria already has close to 2,000 police guarding its porous 260-kilometer (160-mile) frontier with Turkey and is currently extending a 30-kilometer razor-wire fence.

The measures have helped the country remain, so far, on the sidelines of the major migrant route from Turkey and Greece to northern Europe.

However with migrant quotas introduced by Austria and Balkan nations, those fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa are seeking new routes into Western Europe.

Bulgaria’s 470-kilometer border with Greece is straddled by mountains, with only a third of it deemed passable for poorly equipped migrants.

Last year some 30,000 migrants were registered in Bulgaria, while thousands more passed through clandestinely.

NGOs have complained of poor treatment of migrants at the hands of the Bulgarian police.

Some 500 asylum candidates are currently housed in reception centers in the country which is one of the poorest EU member states.



http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/2016/03/06/pm-bulgaria-send-troops-guard-greek-border/81407196/

Citation :

Bulgaria is to halt the procurement of six SandCat 4×4 armored vehicles

Mar 16, 2016



Bulgarian SandCat 4×4 armored vehicles (c) www.theapricity.com


Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev announced that the country is to halt the procurement of six SandCat 4×4 armored vehicles. A contract was earlier placed to Plasan of Israel for several vehicles aimed for the country’s military police. Bulgaria earlier purchased several identical vehicles under separate orders, with some having remote-controlled weapon stations.

It is based on an upgraded commercial of-the-shelf Ford F-Series 4×4 chassis, adapted by Oshkosh Defense for military use and fitted with modular armour developed by Plasan

Nenchev also announced that a contract with Textron Marine & Land Systems for the supply of additional COMMANDO Select 4×4 armoured vehicles will be halted.

http://defence-blog.com/army/bulgaria-is-to-halt-the-procurement-of-six-sandcat-4x4-armored-vehicles.html

Citation :

Bulgaria to Spend EUR 1.24 B to Acquire New Fighter Jets, Patrol Ships




Bulgaria will spend about BGN 2.42 B (EUR 1.24 B) to keep airborne its MiG-29s fighter jets and acquire new warplanes as well as patrol ships under a defence procurement investment plan approved by the government, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

The cabinet approved the three investment projects earlier on Wednesday.

The investment project for securing the airworthiness of at least 10 Russian-built MiG-29s (eight MiG-29A plus two MiG-29 UB combat/trainer version) will be implemented in 2016-2017, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The acquisition of new combat aircraft will be made in two stages. A contract for acquiring eight aircraft from 2018 to 2021 will be signed by the end of 2016. Another eight aircraft will be acquired between 2022 and 2023.

Bulgaria also plans to acquire two multi-purpose patrol ships with modular design for its Navy. The project will be implemented over five years, the Defence Ministry said without giving a timeframe.
- See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/173797/Bulgaria+to+Spend+EUR+1.24+B+to+Acquire+New+Fighter+Jets,+Patrol+Ships#sthash.GT1nRBvN.dpuf

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Bulgarian Navy Plans to Acquire Two Multipurpose Patrol Vessels

The Bulgarian Navy is planning to procure two combat, multipurpose patrol vessels according to the Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev. The government has allocated USD 477.8 mil. for this programme. The patrol ships are expected to enter service by 2022.






http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

La Bulgarie va investir un peu plus de 1,2 milliard d’euros pour moderniser sa défense


Posté dans Europe par Laurent Lagneau Le 08-04-2016



Comme d’autres pays européens avant elle, la Bulgarie a baissé ses dépenses militaires après avoir intégré l’Otan, misant ainsi sur le principe de défense collective en cas d’attaque et aussi sur le « parapluie américain ». La situation économique n’a, par ailleurs, pas aidé à maintenir des dépenses militaires suffisantes pour disposer de forces armées performantes.

Puis, les tensions liées à l’annexion de la Crimée par la Russie a donné lieu à une prise de conscience. Que ce soit à Sofia mais aussi à Tallinn, à Vilnius ou à Riga. Et l’on assiste, depuis, à une hausse souvent spectaculaire des budgets militaires dans ces pays. Le problème est que la remontée en puissance de forces armées aux moyens jusqu’alors comptés ne se fait pas du jour au lendemain, sauf à consentir des investissements très importants.

Et il n’y aura pas de miracle pour la Bulgarie, même si les députés de ce pays des Balkans ont donné, cette semaine, leur feu vert à un investissement d’un peu plus de 2,42 milliards de leva (1,2 milliards d’euros) pour moderniser ses forces navales et aériennes.

Ainsi, il est question d’acquérir deux patrouilleurs pour la marine bulgare. Ces nouveaux navires devraient être livrés d’ici 3 ans au plus tôt, voire d’ici 6 ans au plus tard.

Mais la part la plus importante de ce plan d’investissement concerne l’aviation de combat, mise à rude épreuve il y a quelques mois par les multiples incursions d’avions russes à proximité de l’espace aérien bulgare.

Deux programmes vont donc être lancés. Le premier, très modeste, consistera à moderniser 10 avions de combat MiG-29 (sur les 15 qui étaient encore en service en décembre 2014) entre 2016 et 2017.

Le second projet sera en revanche plus ambitieux puisqu'il visera à acquérir de nouveaux avions de combat. Un contrat devrait être (enfin) signé à cette fin d’ici la fin de cette année.

Ce développement est une petite surprise car il y a encore quelques mois, l’hypothèse de voir l’Otan assurer la surveillance de l’espace aérien bulgare était évoquée avec insistance, étant donné que les crédits pour acquérir des avions de combats n’étaient pas disponibles. Mais, visiblement, et après des années de tergiversations, Sofia veut aller de l’avant dans ce dossier;

Aucun type d’avion en particulier n’a été précisé au moment de l’annonce de ce plan d’investissement. Mais trois types d’appareils étaient encore récemment cités comme pouvant faire l’affaire : des F-16 ayant été retirés du service aux États-Unis, des JAS-39 Gripen C/D, voire des Eurofighter Typhoon de la tranche 1 fournis par l’Italie.

http://www.opex360.com/2016/04/08/la-bulgarie-va-investir-peu-plus-de-12-milliards-deuros-pour-moderniser-sa-defense/

Citation :

Bulgarian government adopts national defence strategy




According to the Bulgarian agency Novinite; the Bulgarian government adopted the national defence strategy at its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Bulgarian government adopted the national defence strategy. The strategy is a result of last-year's mid-term review of the strategic document which has been in force since 2011.



The main changes to the document are related to the altered strategic security environment and the arising consequences.

During the analysis of the security environment, the new risks and threats including the ones of hybrid nature have been taken into account.

The tasks of the armed forces have been harmonised in line with the allied commitments, the press service of the government informs.

It is noted that the success in the fight against hybrid threats will depend on the synergy between the national defence plans and those of the Alliance.

An analysis of the human, informational, material and financial resources available for defence has also been conducted.
The conditions of severely limited budget resources have been taken into account and a balance has been made between the allocated resources and the country's defence capabilities.

The documents identifies defence as wide-ranging state activity with single leadership, planing, financial and resource supply.

The application of all-encompassing approach in the management of crises and conflicts has become exceptionally necessary for successfully countering hybrid warfare.

It is of key importance to synchronise the activities of the armed forces with all government and non-government organisations and structures within the framework of a single strategy and plan.

The defence of the country will be implemented within the framework and in application of the mechanism of collective defence of NATO and the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. The effective use of the national defence capabilities will also be taken into consideration.

The missions remain three – defence, maintaining international peace and security and contribution to national security in peace time.

The structure and number of the armed forces are closely related to the necessary operational capabilities
Bulgaria builds and develops its armed forces as a single set of forces and balanced capabilities with a single command system for management in peace time and in the time of crises.

The peace-time personnel relies on a voluntary principle, with a voluntary reserve maintained for additional recruitment.

A full review and re-issue of the national defence strategy is expected to take place in 2020.





http://www.armyrecognition.com/april_2016_global_defense_security_news_industry/bulgarian_government_adopts_national_defence_strategy_51404162.html

Citation :

Bulgaria officially launches tender for the supply of 10 MiG-29 fighter jet engines

The Bulgarian defence ministry informed on Friday that it has launched a public tender for the supply of ten engines for MiG-29 fighter jets. The engines can be either new or repaired ones and are needed to extend the operational capacity of five fighter jets, daily Sega informs.


http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

Citation :

Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria Eye Joint Military Brigade
Jaroslaw Adamowski, Defense News 4:14 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016



WARSAW, Poland — The governments of Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria are discussing plans to set up a joint military brigade, according to an announcement by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko following a meeting with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, in Bucharest, reports local news agency Novinite.

Poroshenko said that he also discussed the project with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev during the latter’s March 27 visit to Kiev.

The latest move by the three countries follows an earlier initiative by Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania to set up a joint military brigade, dubbed the Litpolukrbrig. The brigade will comprise about 4,000 troops, and it is expected to reach full combat readiness in 2017.

The Ukrainian president said the initiative could become a significant contribution to enhancing regional security. Under the plan, the new brigade will be modeled on the Litpolukrbrig.

Numerous Eastern European countries have increased their regional defense cooperation in response to Russia’s military intervention in eastern Ukraine, and the subsequent takeover of the Crimean peninsula by Moscow.

Some of the potential areas of enhanced regional military cooperation include the countries’ air capabilities. The Czech government is mulling setting up a joint air squadron with Hungary which would comprise Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets operated by the two countries’ air forces. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Air Force is aiming to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-designed fighters with new aircraft, with the Gripen shortlisted as a potential replacement, beside the US F-16 and Eurofighter Typhoon





http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/land/2016/04/25/ukraine-romania-bulgaria-eye-joint-military-brigade/83501138/