Flight Video & Photo
October 12, 2018
By Stanislava Georgieva
SOFIA, Bulgaria, (BulgarianMilitary.com) – In front of journalists, the Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force Major General Tsanko Stoykov shared his view on the purchase of the new Bulgarian fighter jets, saying that according to him the deal of the acquisition will not be completed as the Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov expects to be, namely by the end of the year, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.
To the media, the Bulgaria’s Air Force Commander stated that the securing of such contract, usually takes place no earlier than 5-6 months, after the selecting of a supplier. Thus, he implied that the contract will be signed in the middle of the next year. Major General Tsanko Stoykov confirmed his words by referring to the experience of other countries that have launched and realized similar procurements over the past years. He also explained that the final protocol will be completed after the two appointed groups by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, finish their work and the final arrangement is made. According to him there won’t be any appeal against the decision of the working groups due to the clear procedure. The final decision will be political and after it is made, another group will be appointed which, this time, will work on a concrete contract.
Speaking on the question when the Bulgarian pilots could be ready to use their new fighter, Major General Tsanko Stoykov said that at the beginning a small group will be sent to be trained and after its returning, this group of already experienced pilots will teach and train the others till operational readiness. It is expected this period to last for about 4-5 years with the delivery, and maybe this will happen in the fourth or fifth year after the signing of the deal.
On the topic that the Italian respondent Leonardo has offered to the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and an option for newly-built Eurofighter, the Bulgaria’s Air Force Commander commented that the current group is working under the conditions that are listed as requirements in the request for proposals. To avoid attack, the working group will present a clear justification for their future decision and how it has been taken.
In a conclusion, Major General Tsanko Stoykov said that he was not so much concerned about a delay of the acquisition. According to his words, it is much more important to be taken a reasoned decision which after that to be agreed with the supplier.
Source: bulgarianmilitary.com
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