Bulgarian Army

Major General Rumen Radev, who was the Bulgarian Air Force Commander until August 1, 2016, has been elected President of Bulgaria

On Nov. 13, Rumen Radev, nominated by an initiative committee and supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, has been elected president of Bulgaria with little over 58 percent of the votes. His rival – Tsetska Tsacheva, nominated by the ruling GERB party, won a little over 35 percent of the votes according to Radio Bulgaria.

A fighter pilot in the Bulgarian Air Force, he has served as Air Force Commander until Aug. 1, 2016, when he resigned as a sign of disagreement with the national strategy according to which Bulgaria’s airspace would be policed by air forces of another country.

Here’s his flight experience:

1987 – 1988: junior pilot in the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Ravnets
1989 – 1990: unit deputy commander at the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Ravnets
1990 – 1994: unit commander at the 15th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Ravnets
1996 – 1998: MiG-29 squadron commander at the Fifth fighter airbase – Ravnets
1998 – 1999: deputy commander for flight preparation at the Fifth fighter airbase – Ravnets
1999 – 2000: deputy commander for flight training at the Third fighter airbase – Graf Ignatievo
2000 – Study of the Air defence of the Republic of Bulgaria – NATO, Brussels
2000 – 2002: Chief of Staff of the Third fighter airbase – Graf Ignatievo
2003 – 2005: Chief of Staff of the Third Fighter Airbase – Graf Ignatievo
2005 – 2009: commander of the Third Fighter Airbase – Graf Ignatievo
2009 – 2014: Bulgarian Air Force deputy commander
2014 – 2016: Bulgarian Air Force commander

Despite being a high-rank officer Radev was an active MiG-29 pilot who regularly flew the Fulcrum.

For instance, on Oct. 11, 2014, when the Bulgarian Air Force celebrated its 102nd anniversary (Oct. 16) with an air show at Sofia, Radev, Commander of the BuAF flew a stunning display piloting the Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 and performing a low altitude “Cobra” followed by two tail slides.

Here below you can have a look at the whole stunning performance by the then 51 year Maj. General Rumen Radev, the new president-elect of Bulgaria.



The new President-elect of Bulgaria is a former Mig-29 Fulcrum pilot

Bulgaria has announced a tender for the purchase of fighter jets

According to the Bulgarian Aviation "AERO" magazine, Bulgarian Ministry of Defence has sent on 9 December 2016 request for proposals (RfP - Request for Proposals) to potential suppliers of new fighter jets for the Bulgarian Air Force, which were included in the so-called "short list" (shortlist). This is actually the beginning of a real stage of the new fighter procurement process. This information was confirmed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence AERO press service.

RfP document was signed by the two ministers of the Bulgarian government to resign - Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchevym and Economy and Energy Bozidar Lukarski. After the document was sent to the Embassy of Italy, Portugal, USA and Sweden in Sofia. A source from the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense explained that the document contains confidential information and will not be published to the general public.

Portugal and the United States, is expected to offer to supply multi-purpose F-16 fighters, upgraded standard MLU Block 15. Fighters F-16A/B will be delivered from the United States, where they are now in the long-term storage, and then they will be renovated and modernized in Portuguese repair plant OGMA. Package logistics services will be provided to the United States in the same way as was done in Romania to supply the former Portuguese F-16.

Italy will provide a quotation for a fighter Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1, present in the country's air force. The machines have an age of about eight to ten years.

The only option for the delivery of new aircraft - a Swedish fighter Saab JAS-39C/D Gripen.

Bulgaria budget allocated 1.5 billion leva (767 million euros) to buy a minimum of eight multi-role fighters. In principle, the Bulgarian Defense Ministry wants to buy a total of 16 fighters, so this program will be divided into two stages. The first phase will be implemented in the years 2018-2021, and that it referred to were allocated 1.5 billion leva. The second stage will take place in 2022 - 2023 years, for the purchase of eight aircraft.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2315808.html

The Bulgarian Government has allocated funds for life extension of 10 MiG-29

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2398288.html

Offers for the Bulgarian tender for the purchase of fighters

As reported by Bulgarian media, the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria on April 24, 2017 reported that it had completed the process of receiving proposals for the supply of the Bulgarian Air Force fighter aircraft, although it is not yet clear when the tender itself takes place.

Recall that the request for proposals (RfP - Request for Proposals) to a potential supplier was sent out by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense on December 9, 2016.

The media reported that four proposals were received - from Sweden, the United States, Portugal and Italy. And only Sweden offers delivery of fighters Saab JAS-39C/D Gripen of new production. Three other proposals concern the supply of used fighters from the availability, with repair and modernization - the USA and Portugal offer Lockheed Martin F-16A/B aircraft with modernization by MLU (according to the "Romanian" scheme), and Italian Eurofighter Tranche 1 series with modifications.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2569348.html

Bulgaria has chosen JAS-39 Gripen

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2573110.html

Bulgaria resumes fighter tender

As reported by the US edition of Defense News, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense decided to resume the tender for the purchase of new fighters for the country's air force, abolishing the earlier decision to purchase Swedish fighters Saab JAS-39C / D Gripen. In the near future, the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria will send out a new official request for proposals (RfP - Request for Proposals), and in addition to the three former tenderers, the request will also be sent to the US corporation Boeing for the possibility of buying its F / A-18E / F Super Hornet fighters new production. The decision to choose the type of fighter for the Bulgarian Air Force in the new tender is now scheduled to take place by the end of July 2018.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2956126.html

George1 wrote:Bulgaria resumes fighter tender

... the request will also be sent to the US corporation Boeing for the possibility of buying its F / A-18E / F Super Hornet fighters new production. The decision to choose the type of fighter for the Bulgarian Air Force in the new tender is now scheduled to take place by the end of July 2018.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/2956126.html

Superhornets...pretty ambitious....I would've thought they would be a bit rich for their "diet"

https://sofiaglobe.com/2018/03/22/bulgaria-signs-81m-leva-deal-with-russian-aircraft-corporation-for-logistics-support-for-mig-29s/

Bulgarian tender for wheeled armored personnel carrier

HEMUS-2018, the 12th Defense Industrial Exhibition held from May 30 to June 2, 2018, was held in Bulgaria's Plovdiv under the sign of the forthcoming tender of the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria for the purchase of 8x8 armored personnel carriers. Earlier, on May 16, 2018, the Bulgarian government approved the allocation of 1.02 billion levs (about $ 609 million) for the acquisition of 150 modern wheeled armored personnel carriers to equip three motorized infantry battalions of the Bulgarian army, respectively, including the purchase of 90 line cars and 60 vehicles in special variants.

Speaking at the opening of the HEMUS-2018 exhibition, Bulgarian Defense Minister Kazimir Karakachanov expressed his hope that the contract for the purchase of an armored personnel carrier will be concluded by the end of 2018. Distribution to prospective bidders of an official RFP is expected at the end of June. The purchase of new BTRs has become one of the three priority programs of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, along with the acquisition of 16 modern tactical fighters and the construction of two corvettes.

Bidders:

Leading western manufacturers of armored personnel carriers have already been manufactured for the struggle for the Bulgarian order and at the HEMUS-2018 there were four main candidates for the Bulgarian tender presented in full.

General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) Piranha V equipped with the Israeli uninhabited Elbit Systems UT30MK2 combat module with a 30 mm automatic gun Orbital ATK Bushmaster Mk 44 and ATGM.

Patria's AMV (in the extended AMV-L version) equipped with the Rafael Samson Mk II combat module with the same 30-mm gun Orbital ATK Bushmaster Mk 44 and ATGM.

French Nexter Systems (KNDS) VBCI with a twin tower T40 of its development with a 40 mm automatic gun CTA Intermational 40 CTAS, shooting telescopic ammunition.

Turkish Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi ARMA with its own remotely controlled Mizrak S combat module with a 30-mm Orbital ATK Bushmaster Mk 44 gun. However, the Turkish proposal is considered an outsider to the outsider obvious historical and political reasons.

Another bidder in the Bulgarian tender is to be made by the GTK Boxer of the German consortium ARTEC. This car has been absent from the exposition of the exhibition in Plovdiv, however, as reported, since the beginning of the year the Germans have already held two Boxer presentations for representatives of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, including a polygon demonstration at the end of April. BTR Boxer tests are planned in Bulgaria. But Boxer is also unofficially considered, apparently, too expensive for Bulgaria. As a result, GDELS Piranha V and Patria AMV are now considered by the leading contenders in the contest.

The requirements of the Bulgarian army include a linear armored personnel carrier with a wheel formula of 8x8 equipped with a combat module with an automatic cannon of caliber not less than 30 mm and optional ATGM. For the support vehicles, it is possible to use the wheel formula 6x6 or even 6x4, but it does not look quite realistic (previously similar purchase plans for a part of the 6x6 provision machines existed with the acquisition of Patria AMV by Poland and Croatia, but in both cases they were eventually found impractical and not implemented).

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3228983.html#cutid1

More on Bulgarian tender for 150 APCs, including 90 linear armored personnel carriers and 60 auxiliary vehicles.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3230370.html

A tender for repair and minor modernization of the Bulgarian Su-25K and Su-25UBK attack aircrafts was announced

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3328375.html

Details about the Bulgarian Fighter Tender



As authors of the Bulgarian magazine Aero Alexander Mladenov and Krasimir Grozev told our blog, four proposals from three countries were submitted to the Bulgarian fighter tender. On October 1, 2018, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense received proposals for a tender, which was initiated on June 29. Sweden offered the Saab JAS-39C / D Gripen fighter, USA - the Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70/72 and Boeing F-18E / F Super Hornet aircraft, and Italy offered the Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 1 series from the presence of the Italian Air Force.

The project to acquire a new multifunctional fighter for the Bulgarian Air Force, approved by the Bulgarian government in May-June 2018, has a budget of € 767 million ($ 815 million). This is considered sufficient for the purchase of at least eight multifunctional fighters, along with related logistics services, training and a small amount of weapons. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled for 2022. As an option, an increase in the number of fighters purchased is not excluded. The potential needs of Bulgaria are estimated at 16 aircraft, and the missing machines can be purchased in the second phase of the program in the early 2020s.

The initial assessment of financial and technical issues should take four (rather than two, as originally planned) weeks after the submission of applications, and at the second stage, during which the military-political committee will be invited, having the right to negotiate with suppliers to improve the performance of their proposals . Then the committee will recommend to the defense minister Krasimir Karakachanov the best option. The government must then approve it, after which final negotiations will be held before signing the intergovernmental agreement. This is likely to happen in early 2019 if the selection procedure and negotiations are conducted by Sofia in a constructive and positive manner.

During the first round of the Bulgarian fighter tender in April 2017, the Saab JAS-39C / D Gripen was named the winner. The new government of the country, which began its duties in May 2017, decided to revise the tender, and the parliamentary commission issued a recommendation to the Ministry of Defense to restart the tender and revise the requirements, as well as to increase the number of participants to whom invitations to participate were to be sent.

At this tender, the Swedish government offered Bulgaria eight Gripen JAS-39C / D fighters in the most sophisticated version of the MS20, which includes the PS-05 / A Mk.4 radar, compatible with the MBDA Meteor long-range air-to-air missile, which, according to advertising claims to have better performance than the AIM-120C-5 AMRAAM rocket. The radar has an antenna with a mechanical scan, but Saab claims that it has perfect characteristics, in particular, a 150% increased detection range compared to the modification of the Mk 3, which is equipped with Saab fighters, produced to date. Radar can be upgraded with the installation of the antenna with electronic scanning (AFAR).

The delivery of the first four cars, according to the Swedish proposal, can be made 21 months after signing the contract, and all eight cars must be delivered within 30 months.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3372988.html

The Bulgarian government approved the repair program for MiG-29 fighters and Su-25 attack aircraft.

As the authors of the Bulgarian Aero magazine Alexander Mladenov and Krasimir Grozev told our blog, the Bulgarian government decided to allocate 128.3 million levs ($ 74.4 million) for the long-term maintenance program for the MiG-29 fighter jets and the Su-25 attack aircraft of the Bulgarian Air Force . All these funds will be allocated from the budget of the central government of Bulgaria, and will be taken from the remaining unspent by the end of the year budget expenditures. Maintenance of the MiG-29 will cost 45.7 million leva ($ 26.2 million), and this amount will add 26 million leva ($ 15.1 million), which have already been allocated in the budget of the Ministry of Defense. All these funds will receive the Russian JSC RAC "MiG", the aircraft manufacturer, which is the holder of the framework agreement for the maintenance of aircraft, signed in March 2018.

According to the Bulgarian government, these funds will be enough to continue operating six Bulgarian MiG-29A fighters and two MiG-29UB fighters until 2020, while the total fleet will be extended for 900 flight hours. In 2019, Bulgaria will have to pay MiG a regular tranche in the amount of 23.3 million levs ($ 13.5 million), and the remaining amount of 1.6 million levs ($ 930,000) will be received in 2020 . The main argument of the Bulgarian government in terms of investing in the repair of the MiG-29 fleet, which is becoming increasingly costly, is that these fighters of the Bulgarian Air Force are considered Bulgaria’s main contribution to the NATO Integrated Air Defense and Missile Defense, NATO IAMD .

The Bulgarian government also approved funding for the repair and extension of the Su-25 attack air force of the Bulgarian Air Force worth 82.5 million leva ($ 48 million). The funds will be allocated due to the presence of the framework agreement signed on November 28, 2011 with the Belarusian OJSC “558th Aviation Repair Plant” in Baranovichi. This company won the relevant Bulgarian tender in November 2018 and will carry out repairs and limited modernization (will affect the navigation and aiming system, as well as it will be possible to use the EB satellite satellite M2 container system) of eight Su-25s. In addition, their resource will be extended. This number includes six single Su-25K attack aircraft and two Sparky Su-25UBK. Airplanes are required to comply with the tasks set by the end of the 2020s. The main reason why Bulgaria is spending money on the Su-25 is the need to maintain the impact capabilities of the ground targets until the country's air force gets a new multi-purpose fighter into service.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3448095.html

Parliament Assigns Government to Hold Negotiations with US on Acquisition of New Fighter Aircraft

Sofia, January 16 (BTA) - In a 130-84 vote with no abstentions, Parliament Wednesday assigned the government to draw up a draft international agreement and hold negotiations with the United States on Bulgaria's acquisition of a new type of fighter aircraft, F-16V, Block 70. The negotiations mandate was supported by the MPs of GERB, 23 MPs of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), 11 MPs of the United Patriots, and two independent MPs. The MPs who voted against were 66 from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), four MPs from Volya and 14 MPs from the United Patriots.

Parliament Assigns Government to Hold Negotiations with US on Acquisition of New Fighter Aircraft

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/bulgarian-president-vetoed-f-16v-deal/

Bulgarian President Vetoed F-16V Deal

By Dario Leone -Jul 26 2019

Bulgarian Air Force may switch to Typhoon or Gripen because of F-16V’s high price


The Bulgarian president Rumen Radev vetoed the F-16V deal after a lengthy debate in parliament on Jul. 19, that revealed divisions on the contract terms. (...)

For them Mig-29M or SMT would be perfect, but unfortunately they cannot do independent choices.

For sure acquiring 16 Mig-29M would be much more affordable than the other options and also better performing, while having relatively modern avionics.

They could even get Mig-35 if they wanted something more modern of the other western aircrafts offered.

After all they have experience in operating older generation mig29 (I believe, never properly upgraded), and the same Bulgarian president is a mig-29 pilot.

this is a hideous cost per aircraft (even with the maintenance etc ) $150mn per aircraft, could have gotten Su-30SM or Mig 29M or at even mig-35, instead an upgraded F-16 block 70 (F-16V) also known as viper but not to be confused with the super viper version. the first F-16 will arrive by mid-2023, followed by four more by the end of that year. The rest will arrive in 2024.which is kinda a bit too late consider they have already paid the USA for them, what a crap deal. they will regret this deal


The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 12 August that it had transferred USD1.2 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 8 August for the procurement of F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft.

The ministry said the DSCA's confirmation of receipt marks the related contracts' entry into force and the beginning of their implementation. The contracts, which cover the US Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of eight F-16 Block 70 fighters and related equipment, maintenance, and services to Bulgaria, were signed by Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov on 11 July and approved by parliament on 19 July.




https://www.janes.com/article/90460/bulgaria-makes-f-16-payment?utm_campaign=PC6110_E19%20DF%20NL%20Defence%2020_08_19&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

Repair of Su-25 attack aircraft of the Bulgarian Air Force in Belarus

European sanctions prohibit EU members from trading in arms with Belarus. In order to repair equipment already purchased in Belarus, the Bulgarian parliament amends national legislation, the website of the Belarusian television channel Belsat TV reports.

The Bulgarian parliament passed an amendment to the law on the control of the export of military products. The initiative belonged to a member of the party “Bulgarian National Movement”, and an amendment was made between readings of a completely different law - “On the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,” writes Capital.
According to the publication, the idea of ​​a backstage legal amendment is to remove the control of the Ministry of Economy over the repair and modernization of weapons.

In November 2018, Bulgaria concluded an agreement with the 558th Aviation Repair Plant in Baranovichi for the repair of eight Su-25 attack aircraft. The contract amount amounted to 73.6 million euros excluding VAT (or about 88 million euros including VAT).
The Bulgarian Air Force has 14 Su-25 attack aircraft designed to support infantry, but only five of them can fly into the air. They should be replaced by American F-16s, but not earlier than five years later.
In December, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense transferred to Belarus the first tranche of about 41 million euros. However, the money didn’t get to Baranavichy because of the EU directive on the embargo on the supply of weapons and means to Belarus that could be used for internal repression. In February, the EU extended the sanctions for another year.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria, the import of equipment into Belarus is not an export, since it is imported temporarily for repair. Bulgaria assigned the solution of the problem to the parliamentary Export Control Commission, the Diary reports.
“The Ministry of Defense paid the indicated amount in December, after which the bank returned the money, which was supposed to be transferred,” Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Velichkov told reporters in May 2019.
It is expected that after the publication of the legal changes, the Bulgarian Minister of Defense will sign a temporary permit for the export of the Su-25 to Belarus, and the Ministry of Economy will not interfere with “export”.
“Su-25s fly to Belarus through the back door,” writes the Bulgarian media.
The Baranavichy plant will be able to start repairing Bulgarian aircraft after the transfer of funds, and a precedent may in the future open the Belarusian market for servicing and modernizing military equipment of Soviet and Russian production for other EU countries.


https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3750283.html

Lockheed Martin to build eight F-16 fighter jets for Bulgaria

https://sputniknews.com/military/202004021078810843-lockheed-martin-awarded-512-million-contract-to-build-eight-f-16-aircraft-for-bulgaria/

Bulgaria brought into the fleet two former Dutch minesweepers of the Tripartite type

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4166936.html

Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria: Repair and modernization of T-72M tanks will be carried out with the involvement of foreign companies

Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria: Repair and modernization of T-72M tanks will be carried out with the involvement of foreign companies

Reports come from Bulgaria that the country's defense ministry has signed a contract to modernize its tank fleet. At the same time, it is reported that the "modernization" will consist of repairs so far 44 tanks T-72M and three command armored vehicles MT-LB-U.

According to the latest data, the total cost of such a contract is about 40 million euros.

The state-owned company TEREM-Holding will carry out the repair of tanks. She will carry out renovation activities for 2 years. Earlier, the same company repaired 13 tanks of the Bulgarian army, which was also called "modernization".

Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov signed an agreement with the said company on December 16. From the statement of the Bulgarian minister:

The contract is aimed at improving the combat capabilities of the ground forces. This is a useful step in the right direction. We are restoring the balance in the modernization of our armed forces.

It is argued that the modernization is carried out, among other things, in order to improve the accuracy of fire from the 125-mm T-72M cannon.

At the same time, it was added that the modernization of T-72M tanks will be carried out with the involvement of foreign companies. What kind of foreign companies we are talking about, whether they are from Russia, has not yet been reported.

The complex of repair and modernization works will be carried out at the plant in the Bulgarian Targovishte.

https://en.topwar.ru/178293-minoborony-bolgarii-remont-i-modernizacija-tankov-t-72m-budet-provoditsja-s-privlecheniem-inostrannyh-kompanij.html

The Bulgarian Air Force received all the Su-25 attack aircraft repaired in Belarus

https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2223814.html

On May 6, 2021, on the occasion of the national holiday of Bulgaria - the Day of the Armed Forces of Bulgaria and the Day of Courage, an air parade was held in the capital of the country - Sofia. Mi-24 and AS-532 AL Cougar helicopters, C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft, L-39ZA training aircraft, Su-25 attack aircraft and MiG-29 fighters of the Bulgarian Air Force flew in parade in the skies of Sofia.















https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2316155.html