site.btaBulgaria’s Armed Forces in 2025: Higher Pay, F-16 Arrival and Legislative Changes

Higher pay for service members, numerous amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act, and the arrival of the first eight F-16 Block 70 fighter jets were among the major developments affecting Bulgaria’s Armed Forces in 2025, while the personnel shortage in the army remained one of the main challenges.

F-16 Fighter Jets

At the beginning of the year, deliveries of the F-16 fighter jets began under the first contract with the United States signed in 2019, and on December 18 all eight aircraft were officially presented at a formal ceremony. The Bulgarian Air Force is expected to field one squadron of F-16 Block 70 aircraft by the end of 2027, when another eight jets are scheduled to be delivered under the second contract.

At the end of November, however, outgoing Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that the plans are for the F-16s to achieve operational readiness in 2028.  If the country wants national resources for airspace protection, it will have to maintain the MiG-29 fighters that it currently has. The Minister added that achieving readiness in 2026 is not realistic, he also said, adding that the Commander of the Air Force will decide if the F-16s achieve initial operational readiness and if they can be used for combat duty.

In October, the Air Force Commander stated that Bulgaria has six pilots trained to fly the F-16, but only two are currently qualified on Bulgaria’s variant of the aircraft. Trainer-combat aircraft are needed so that the remaining four pilots based in Bulgaria can transition to this model. They flew an older version of the F-16 in the United States, and therefore need to complete several flights on the Bulgarian F-16 Block 70 in Bulgaria, after which they will be able to fly the combat aircraft independently, Major General Rusev explained.

Navy

"Today is a historic day for Bulgaria’s Navy, because for the first time in more than 100 years a new combat ship is being built in Bulgaria by the national defence industry," Atanas Zapryanov said on 8 December at an official ceremony marking the raising of the Bulgarian naval flag on the new multifunctional modular patrol vessel Hrabri.

Zapryanov also said that negotiations are ongoing with Belgium and the Netherlands for Bulgaria to acquire second-hand minehunters. According to him, decisions have already been taken by the governments of both countries. The minister specified that talks are underway for seven vessels.

In 2027, the Navy is expected to acquire another multifunctional modular patrol vessel, Smeli.

Legislative changes

At the end of the year, Parliament adopted amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act. The National Assembly increased by two years the maximum service age for military personnel who have not exercised their right to a pension for length of service and age under the Social Security Code.

Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov explained that the two-year extension applies to all categories of military personnel, from soldier to Chief of Defence. This measure will allow the Armed Forces to retain around 847 service members over the next two years, while efforts to address personnel shortages continue. Of these, approximately 159 are officers, 510 are soldiers, 24 are officer cadets, and 154 are sergeants, he said.

The amendments also authorize the Armed Forces to use weapons and/or technical means against unmanned autonomous systems in the protection and defence of military facilities, permanent deployment sites, military units, equipment, and ship platforms located outside permanent bases.

In addition, the amendments introduce a clear legal framework defining the activities of the Supreme High Command and provide a definition of the term 'deterrence' of military threats.

Personnel in the Armed Forces

At the beginning of the year, a new base for determining the base monthly salary for the lowest military rank entered into force. This base is calculated annually on the basis of the average national wage for the second quarter of the previous year. The base monthly salary is increased by a factor applied to the base: no less than 1.2 for officers, and no less than 1 for officer cadets, sergeants, and soldiers.

At the end of January, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov set the base monthly salary for the lowest position at BGN 2,296.

"The Armed Forces will address the personnel shortage, but it will not happen all at once. This year we have funding to recruit only 1,000 service members," Zapryanov said at the end of October.

At the beginning of April, the Report on the State of Defence and the Armed Forces for 2024 was published, stating that the personnel shortfall stands at 21.8%.

Land Forces

Deliveries of the Stryker combat vehicles were expected to begin by the end of this year, but as of now the Ministry of Defence has not announced that deliveries have started.

On December 1, 2023, Parliament ratified the contract for the acquisition of Stryker combat vehicles. The agreement provides for the purchase of 198 combat, reconnaissance, and command-and-staff vehicles, as well as specialized vehicles for nuclear, chemical, and biological reconnaissance, medical evacuation, engineering support, transport, and recovery. Of these, 183 are combat vehicles from the Stryker family, while the remaining 15 are auxiliary trucks.

Deliveries were scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 and to be completed in the first quarter of 2028. The bulk of the combat and auxiliary vehicles is expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027, at a rate of ten vehicles per month.