Bulgaria wants to abandon Russian MiG military aircraft
In response to a statement made by the Bulgarian Minister of Defense, Krasimir Karakachanov, that Bulgaria could abandon purchasing new fighters and repair old Russian MiGs that are used in the Bulgarian army, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev spoke against the repair of Russian MiG-29 fighters insisting on the acquisition of new aircraft that meet NATO standards.
"No, absolutely not, we cannot give up buying new fighters for the Bulgarian military. Our aviation should be compatible with the aircraft of other NATO member countries," Radev said. The Bulgarian president stressed that, despite their high maneuverability, Russian fighters do not have modern combat capabilities.
Earlier, the government of Bulgaria initiated negotiations on the purchase of eight new Swedish multirole Gripen fighters. The total cost of the new fighters will amount to approximately 750 million euros.