Bulgarian Air Force

The process of upgrading the Bulgarian Army's air defense systems has officially commenced. On October 7, an additional agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany and Diehl Defense, the manufacturer of the IRIS-T SLM systems, regarding the provision of an air defense complex for the Bulgarian Air Force.

Bulgarian military personnel and colleagues paid their final respects to Lieutenant Colonel Petko Dimitrov and Captain Vencislav Dunkin, who lost their lives in the line of duty on September 13. The farewell ceremony took place at the 12th air base in Dolna Mitropolia, where the two pilots were honored with full military rites.

South Korean defense firm Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is pushing to expand its footprint in the global light combat aircraft market with an updated version of its FA-50 fighter jets. This model has already proven successful in exports, according to reports from Scramble.

Acting Bulgarian Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov has clarified that the airbase near Graf Ignatievo will not include facilities for storing nuclear weapons. This information was provided in response to a query from MP Ivan Petkov of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

Lieutenant General Mihail Popov, Deputy Chief of Defense, has clarified that the acquisition of the HIMARS rocket launcher is not currently in the immediate plans for the Bulgarian Army.

Embarking on a visit to the United States, Defense Minister Todor Tagarev, accompanied by Defense Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov, directed their attention to the Lockheed Martin plants in Greenville, South Carolina. Their mission: to engage with company executives, observe the aircraft production process, and monitor the advancement of the F-16 Block 70 destined for the Bulgarian Air Force.

January 10 marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most sinister and bloodiest bombings of Sofia during the Second World War. Then the first combined one was performed, i.e. day-night attack on the capital.

In a significant milestone for Bulgaria's military modernization, representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the Bulgarian Air Force recently undertook a comprehensive tour of the Lockheed Martin plant in Greenville, South Carolina. The purpose of the visit was to witness firsthand the advanced stages of assembly for the F-16 Block 70 fighters destined for Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is hosting the joint Bulgarian-American training exercise "Thracian Summer - 2023", which will take place from August 5 to 20 in the areas of the Bezmer Air Base and Cheshnegirovo Airport. This was announced by the press center of the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

90% of the repair of 6 MiG-29 engines of the Bulgarian Air Force will be carried out at the Lutsk Repair Plant "Motor" in Ukraine. This became clear from the decision to select a public order contractor of the Ministry of Defense, made on June 16.