Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The modernization of the Bulgarian army requires 3-4% of country's GDP

Photo: BGNES

Bulgaria has to decide this year whether it will in any way extend its stock of MiG-29. At the Conference of Bulgaria's Chief of Defense in Sofia, with the participation of President Rumen Radev, it became clear that the option for a replacement platform until the arrival of the first F-16s in 2025 is not being implemented. 

Air Force experts emphasized that parts for the MiGs are hard to be delivered. The Bulgarian Air Force performs its duties in conditions of a deficit of financial and material resources and a lack of aviation equipment. However, continuous Air Policing duty has always been and will always be a top priority. 

The Bulgarian ground forces also recognized the need for funds to implement the modernization projects and demanded a clear political commitment from the state to the development of combat capabilities. 

For its part, the Bulgarian Navy reported that because of the war in Ukraine, many of the originally planned events were postponed or canceled. On the other hand, the control of shipping and the protection of maritime communications have been strengthened. According to the caretaker Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov, due to the nearly 30-year delay in the modernization of the Bulgarian armed forces, financial resources to the tune of 3-4% of the country's GDP are currently needed.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

A view of a building hit by Israeli airstrikes north of Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025

Foreign Ministry calls on Bulgarian citizens to leave Iran amidst rising tension in the region

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Bulgarians in Iran to immediately leave the country due to the escalation of tensions in the region . Those who need to remain in the country should report their location and planned duration of stay..

published on 6/13/25 11:35 AM
Tel Aviv, 13 June 2025

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry calls on Bulgarian citizens in Israel to register at the embassy in Tel Aviv

Bulgarian citizens in the territory of the State of Israel are advised to remain calm, strictly adhere to the instructions of the Israeli Civil Defense , and monitor current information, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry recommends. Foreign..

published on 6/13/25 11:28 AM

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry issues safety recommendations to Bulgarian citizens in the Middle East

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on Bulgarian citizens located in the Middle East region and in particular on the territory of the Republic of Iraq, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to strictly adhere to the..

published on 6/13/25 11:17 AM