The meeting of the chief of defense of Bulgaria begins today in Sofia, on February 22, the Bulgarian National Radio reports.
President of the country Rumen Radev also takes part in the traditional meeting of the military and civilian leadership of the Bulgarian army.
The Navy noted that due to the fighting, many of the originally planned events were rescheduled or cancelled. However, the control of navigation and the protection of sea lanes were strengthened. The ground forces recognized the need to implement modernization projects. And they insisted on a clear political commitment of the state to capacity development.
The Air Force recalled that they were fulfilling their duties in the face of a shortage of financial and material resources and a shortage of aviation equipment. But also that continuous Air Policing service has always been and will always be a top priority.
Bulgaria must decide this year whether it will in any way extend the service life of the MiG-29. The replacement platform option was not implemented until the first F-16s appeared in 2025. However, spare parts for MiGs are hard to come by, the Air Force said.
It is expected that the meeting will be held under the sign of events in Ukraine. NATO insists that more than 2 percent of GDP be allocated to defense. Bulgaria has been investing slightly below this percentage for many years. According to Acting Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, due to the almost 30-year delay in the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, financial resources of the order of 3-4% of GDP are needed.
source: rossaprimavera
