Bulgarian procurement ambitions blend old plans with new projects
TheBulgarian MoD plans to considerably strengthen the army, mainly by acquiring new IFVs and upgrading its T-72 MBT fleet. (Photo: Alexander Mladenov)
Undaunted by previous problems in attempting to acquire F-16s and IFVs, Bulgaria has unveiled an ambitious new set of procurement priorities.
The US Department of State on 4 April approved a potential FMS to Bulgaria of up to eight F-16V multirole fighter aircraft, munitions and related equipment, underlining a broader effort by the European country to modernise its military inventory against a backdrop of growing Russian aggression.
Bulgaria requested $1.67 billion worth of equipment, including four single-seat and four twin-seat F-16s in the Block 70 (F-16V) configuration, each armed with a single M61A1 Vulcan cannon.
The potential FMS also includes F100-GE-129D engines and AN/APG-83 AESA Scalable Agile Beam Radars; GPS/INS equipment; and weaponry such as AIM-120C-7/C-8 AMRAAM or equivalent
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 1 free story per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
- Free magazine subscription to all our titles
- Downloadable equipment data handbooks
- Distribution rights (Corporate only)
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
- 10-year news archive access
- Downloadable equipment data handbooks
- Distribution rights (Corporate only)
More from Defence Notes
-
![USAF braces for new KC-46 delay as RVS 2.0 troubles persist]()
USAF braces for new KC-46 delay as RVS 2.0 troubles persist
The US Air Force is facing up to more KC-46 tanker woes.
-
![Israel's Rafael buys UK defence firm Pearson Engineering in strategic expansion]()
Israel's Rafael buys UK defence firm Pearson Engineering in strategic expansion
The acquisition of Pearson Engineering by Israeli firm Rafael could see UK manufacturing of the Trophy active protection system for the Challenger 3 MBT — but how well does the deal sit with the UK government's defence industrial strategy?
