According to the President Radev, the Delayed Projects for Modernization of the Army are a Reason for Partial Fulfilment of the Tasks

By Boyko Nikolov

SOFIA (Bulgaria), April 20, 2018, Source: BNR, Editor: Boyko Nikolov, Photo: BTA

On 19th April it was held a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) at the Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria. The major topics of the meeting were the possible threats for the national security, the condition of our armed forces and measures for increasing the readiness and defence capabilities of our country.

“The changes in the geopolitical realities led to new challenges for Bulgaria, hybrid activities, cyber-parade, etc. Unresolved crises of geopolitical importance, the destabilization within the Black Sea region, the West Balkans, the international terrorism, the conflicts in the Middle East, Syria, and Asia continue generate risks for this country, the region, and the Euro-Atlantic region as a whole,” commented the president Rumen Radev.

The president Radev finds problems with the fulfilment of the tasks in the Bulgarian Army and mainly with their incomplete fulfilment. According to him, the shortening of the staff and projects for the modernization of the Army, which are delayed, are the main reason for that.

The updating of the medium term budget forecast for 2019-2021, which, according to the Council, shall be made till October 2018, shall be conformed to the increase of the costs for the defence, which are 2% of the GDP as of the moment. This was clearly declared and agreed by the whole Consultative Council.

We would like to remind that during the past year two of the three major projects for modernization of the Bulgarian Army were ceased by the governing majority in the Parliament. These two projects were for the modernization of the Bulgarian Aviation through purchasing of new fighters and manufacturing of two new patrol boats, needed for our naval forces.

On 4th April 2018, the Ministry of Defence restarted both projects again.

On 21st March 2018, the Ministry of Defence signed a contract with the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RSK-MiG) for repair and maintenance of the MiG fleet of the Bulgarian Aviation after the case in December 2017 when the Ukrainian company UkrOboromProm tried to stop the deal in the Commission for Protection of Competition, but the Commission did not allow that to happen.