site.btaAir Force Commander: Single Squadron of Fighter Jets Not Sufficient for Bulgaria

Speaking on Bulgarian National Television on Tuesday, Air Force Commander Major General Nikolay Rusev said that "a single squadron of fighter jets is not sufficient for Bulgaria."

At present, this country has eight F-16s, and under a second contract expects another eight, he recalled, giving examples from neighbouring countries. Turkiye has 240 F-16s and 35 F-4 Phantom II aircraft and is expecting Eurofighter Typhoon jets, or a total of 315 aircraft. Greece has a total of 242 aircraft, but instead of Eurofighters it operates Dassault Rafale jets. Romania has 60 F-16s and expects 48 F-35s. Poland has 47 F-16s, expects F-35s, and has around 100 aircraft in total. Serbia also has more than Bulgaria, Rusev noted.

As to F-16 pilots, he said that Bulgaria currently has six, with the number expected to reach 12 by November.

If Bulgaria has 20 fighter jets, it does not mean that all 20 will be fully available, Rusev added, explaining that aircraft can experience technical issues and require maintenance.

“The F-16 cannot be serviced in the same way as the MiG-29. Things are different here. We remove a spare part and send it for repair,” he said.

“I do not understand why it is being suggested that the MiG-29 is a millstone around the neck of the Defence Ministry. We must say that the MiG-29 is currently saving us in certain situations,” he added, noting that the aircraft is on duty and relatively inexpensive to operate because it is well mastered.

“The F-16 needs to be fully equipped, and the first contract must be completed 100%. When that happens, I will be the first to insist that the F-16 enters operational duty,” Rusev said.