Bulgaria approves 113M leva additional spending on overhauling military aircraft, upgrading equipment
Bulgaria’s Cabinet approved on December 12 the spending of further additional spending, of more than 113 million leva by the Defence Ministry, including on overhauls and repairs to the Air Force’s ageing aircraft.
The decisions came after the Cabinet approved on November 28 an 81 million leva project to overhaul eight Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets and a 99 million leva project to overhaul Soviet-made Su-25 fighter-bombers.
Those repairs were justified as needed to keep Air Force aircraft flying to carry out air space policing duties pending the acquisition of new fighter jets.
Speaking after the December 12 Cabinet meeting, Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said that the government had approved 10.9 million leva for the maintenance of five Cougar military helicopters and 817 000 for repairing Mi-17 helicopters.
There also would be funding for repairing L39 and T72 aircraft.
A cabinet statement said that the government had approved additional spending, adding up to 58.8 million leva, for the maintenance of aviation equipment, communication, information and navigation systems of the Bulgarian Air Force.
Also approved at the December 12 meeting was 33.4 million leva for projects including the supply of medical equipment.
The Cabinet approved 21.2 million leva for the development of the Strandzha 2 field communication and information system and the delivery of mobile and hand-held terminals of the Tetra standard.
The 113 million leva funding for the three spending items approved on December 12 would be acquired through restructuring in the 2018 national budget, the government statement said.
