"The government is looking for MiG-29 fighters only for spare parts", announced Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov before the meeting of the relevant parliamentary committee.
"We do not want to make a squadron of MiG-29s or buy new MiG-29s, we have enough aircraft, but we need spare parts. That is what we want - nothing more", he explained.
Letters have been sent to both the Pentagon and Sweden for used F-16 and Gripen aircraft, the minister said, but added that he does not expect our country to receive such aircraft.
I can only get spare parts from countries that currently operate the MiG-29. These are Poland and years ago - Hungary. I have sent letters and asked if they can provide us with spare parts. When you take the engines, the box of the aircraft units and other things from an aircraft, nothing remains of the aircraft, the minister explained.
If we can acquire a Gripen "second hand" or a F-16 "second hand", then there will be no need to continue operating the MiG-29 for so long, the minister also said. He added that the reason for extending the operation of the MiG-29 is the delay in the second eight F-16 aircraft that Bulgaria is to receive.
The minister showed a report on a request for parts for the MiG-29, which has not been fulfilled since 2021. Nothing has been delivered since 2021, Stoyanov added.
Regarding the American aircraft that are to be deployed at the "Bezmer" airbase, the minister said that they have not yet arrived. This is a complex operation. Usually, information is not given in advance, Stoyanov said.
The military minister invited representatives of the youth organization of "Yes, Bulgaria" - "MlaDa Bulgaria", who this morning "presented" an old "Moskvich" car with an appeal to the government not to buy MiG-29 fighters, tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. to go to the Ministry of Defense, so that I can explain to them what this is about and read them Article 9 of the Constitution and the Law on Defense and Armed Forces, where it is clearly stated that our armed forces guarantee national security.
However, these young people were right about one thing - this is not a Russian world, but this is not a Ukrainian world either. This is a Bulgarian world, said Dimitar Stoyanov.