Bulgaria is negotiating with a Polish state-owned enterprise for the continuation of maintenance of the Russian MiG-29 fighters, with which the native airspace is protected. According to NOVA, the issue was discussed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev and the management of the plant in Poland, and our country will rely on the current machines until a full combat squadron of new F-16 fighters is completed.
At the moment, the MiG-29 fighters are performing the mission of protecting the Bulgarian sky, known as “Air Policing“, with their flight resource officially extended until 2028. The deputy commander of the Graf Ignatievo air base, Lieutenant Colonel Dimitar Metaksov, is among the pilots who carry out these tasks.
“It is expressed in a duty that is carried out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week“, Lieutenant Colonel Metaksov commented to the television.
A pair of fighter jets are maintained in continuous combat readiness, with the crew having exactly 15 minutes to react from the moment of receiving the signal until takeoff.
“This is a combat mission in peacetime that a fighter jet performs, with real weapons on board and it is ready to act“, explains the deputy commander.
One of the latest alarms raised by Bulgarian crews is related to a threat of a terrorist act on board a passenger plane flying from Warsaw to Tel Aviv with 180 people on board board. Military fighters intercept the civilian machine in a matter of minutes in the northernmost part over the Danube River. The military plane descends to establish communication and visual contact with the pilot who gave the signal.
„The crew of this civilian aircraft did not even expect to be intercepted. The situation was surprising to them too. Fortunately, the plane was moving according to its flight plan and normal communication was carried out with it. Whatever the problem may be – from technical to human“, says Lieutenant Colonel Metaksov.
According to the deputy commander of the airbase, when a real threat is detected, the main goal of the fighters is to force the problematic plane to land at the nearest airport.
“If not, the last stage, which is already very extreme, is to somehow destroy this means“, the lieutenant colonel is categorical.
The new eight F-16 fighters will join the security of the country's airspace only when the full spectrum of their combat capabilities is mastered and sufficiently qualified pilots are prepared to fly them.
Source: www.dunavmost.com