Bulgarian Army Gets 10 US Armoured Personnel Vehicles

The Bulgarian Army will get 10 armorued personnel vehicles Commando Select made by the US company Textron Systems, reports the Sega daily.

They cost USD 15.28 M and are part of the US programme Foreign Military Sales - a form of security assistance authorized by the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).

The deliveries will start in Q1 2015 and will be completed by end of June 2015. The vehicles will be fully equipped and operational.

So far Bulgaria has seven such machines.

The Commando Select vehicles can carry up to 10 personnel - three crew and seven dismount, depending on the customisation and protect against direct and indirect weapons, mines and IEDs. They can also be used as ambulances, mortar vehicles and direct fire vehicles.

The armoured personnel vehicles will be used in the NATO mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan.

Earlier this week Bulgaria's government decided to terminate the country's participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation and send 110 members of Bulgaria's armed forces to take part in Resolute Support.

Resolute Support aims to train, advise and assist the Afghan national security forces, to develop the Afghan state institutions in cooperation with the Afghan government, partners and other international organizations involved in the region.

According to the Sega publication, Bulgaria will most likely continue with deliveries of Commando Select vehicles, as part of its infantry modernisation.