Bulgarian Armed Forces

Bulgaria has started deploying more soldiers on its border with Turkey due to "the complicated situation" related to the migrant crisis.

The Bulgarian army could send up to 1,000 troops to back up border police if needed, the country's defense minister has said.

Six Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets will have their engines overhauled in Poland under an intergovernmental letter of intent signed in Sofia on Friday.

US military equipment is arriving to Bulgaria for participation in the planned joint multinational activity Black Sea Rotational Force - Platinum Lion 16-1.

The US armament includes four M1 tanks, Striker armoured personnel carriers (APCs), artillery systems as well as supporting equipment, the defence ministry's press service informs.

A tactical training involving military firing at the training area of the Bulgarian Air Force near the Black Sea town of Shabla began on Monday.

More than 750 servicemen from the Bulgarian Air Force, 460 troops from the Bulgarian Land Forces, 200 servicemen from the Bulgarian Navy, crews from the Military Police Service and Border Police will participate in the four-day drills.

In a draft strategy on countering terrorism and radicalisation, the Interior Ministry states that Bulgaria is a potential target of terrorists.

According to the strategy, there is a real threat of a terrorist attack in the country and one of the reasons for this threat is the extreme poverty and social exclusion of a large number of Bulgarian citizens.

Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said on Thursday that nine of the country's nineteen MiG-29 fighter jets need repair.

Nenchev added that progress was being made towards the signing of the maintenance contract with Poland, where the engines are to be repaired.

First ships participating in the international navy exercise ''Breeze 2015'' have already anchored in Bulgaria's Varna, as reported by BGNES.

Today is the turn for politicians to take responsible decisions on the future of Bulgarian armed forces.

The statement was made by Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in his speech at the military parade taking place in Sofia. Traditionally, the event is organized in honor of St George, believed to be the guardian of the army.

Bulgarian Parliament's Defense Committee head Miho Mikov has described as "unacceptable" the prospect of Bulgaria paying other NATO members to protect its airspace.

Mihov is referring to a scenario that could follow if the country's current aircraft fleet, composed mainly of MiG fighter jets, is retired in September due to lack of maintenance.

Bulgaria's government should allocate more money to defense, President Rosen Plevneliev's Defense and Security Secretary Atanas Samandov has said.

He told daily Pressa that several projects could be developed to boost the military industry, citing the example of prospective cooperation with US companies on armored personnel carriers.