Mikoyan MiG-29

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.

Slovakia has received the first two of its 14 new F-16 fighter jets on Monday, which are set to replace the MiG-29s previously donated to Ukraine. This acquisition is part of a 2018 deal valued at approximately 1.6 billion dollars. The remaining 12 jets are expected to arrive by the end of 2025.

OSINT researcher Christiaan Triebert has recently released highly detailed satellite images of Belbek airport following the Ukrainian attack on the night of May 15. These images represent the highest quality available to date and provide significant insight into the aftermath of the assault. Previous photos circulating on the internet depicted minimal damage.

The Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria has initiated a public procurement process for the overhaul of six engines used in MiG-29 fighter jets, as revealed by data in the Public Procurement Register. The procurement process began on April 5, 2024, with a deadline set for May 17, 2024, for interested parties to submit their bids.

After 18 months of conflict, the Ukrainian air forces needreplacement aircraft as their losses mount and Russian air forces exert increasing control over the skies above Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.

"We cannot rule out a clash between NATO and Russia in the Black Sea, but we seek to avoid escalation. However, this depends on Russia's actions. Russia constantly provokes NATO, including by expanding the zone in which it exercises control", Bulgaria's Defense Minister Todor Tagarev told Nova TV today.

In order to ensure the airworthiness of the MiG-29 aircraft until achieving operational capabilities for combat duty with the new F-16 Block 70 combat platform, the Ministry of Defense assigned the execution of a public procurement with the subject "Main/overhaul repair of engines RD-33, Ser. 2 for the MiG-29 aircraft" of the Polish state company Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 S.A.

With 10 votes "for" and 5 "against", the Defense Committee decided to provide Ukraine with 100 armored personnel carriers from the reserves of the Ministry of Internal Affairs which are no longer needed.

Defense Minister Todor Tagarev explained that in this case a military expertise will be required.

"We have problems with the maintenance of the MiG-29 fighter jets. We will rely on the MiG-29s until such time as air control duty can be taken over by the F-16s." This was stated by the Minister of Defense Todor Tagarev during his hearing in the Defense Committee of the National Assembly.