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.

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