site.btaBulgarian Armed Forces Modernization in 2024

The modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces is backed by legislation until the year's end and beyond, caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov told reporters on Thursday after Parliament ratified an international agreement on the acquisition of ammunition for Stryker vehicles and adopted a resolution on an investment expenditure on the purchase of anti-aircraft missile systems.

The acquisition of aircraft for the Air Force is making seamless progress, as is the case with the Land Forces' combat vehicles and the multi-role patrol ships for the Navy. The new thing is the missile defence system and the upcoming negotiations with the German government. "From now on, we will be working to implement these resolutions," said Zapryanov.

At the time Defence Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov said that Parliament's resolution was the most substantial in recent years. The resolution paves the way for modernization of the air defence systems, starting with medium-range systems and the acquisition of six medium-range and one long-range complex by 2031 at fixed prices. Bulgaria has not had such a complex system and such a saturation of air defence assets in recent years, he said. 

Air defence systems

A programme agreement for the joint purchase of IRIS-T SLM missile systems was signed in early September by Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius. A month later, the Defence Ministry announced that it was starting the process of replacing the Bulgarian Army's air defence systems.

Combat and support vehicles

At the beginning of August, Parliament ratified an international treaty for the acquisition of ammunition for Stryker vehicles of various types and calibres. Under the terms of the contract, the delivery of the ammunition is to be aligned with the delivery of the Stryker vehicles and will take place according to the following schedule deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2025 and will- end in third quarter of 2028.

Bulgaria is to receive 198 combat, reconnaissance and command and staff vehicles, and vehicles for special nuclear, chemical and biological reconnaissance, medical evacuation, engineering, transport and evacuation. The deadline for production and delivery of the vehicles is approximately 36 months from the award of the production contract by the US Army. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 and end in the first quarter of 2028. The bulk of the combat and support vehicles will be delivered in 2026 and 2027 at a rate of 10 vehicles per month.

In September, the Defence Ministry reported that 44 T-72 tanks and three MT-L command and control vehicles had been modernized.

The report said the accelerated pace of rearmament and modernization has been maintained. Parliament adopted a Defence Investment Programme 2032 which focuses on the acquisition of two multi-purpose modular patrol vessels and their armament and equipment; coastal anti-ship missile complexes; medium/long-range anti-aircraft missile complexes; special operations forces personnel mobility and protection machines; F-16 Block 70 aircraft; Stryker combat vehicles; and mine hunters for the Navy.

The report further said that the comprehensive modernization of Third Air Base continues at an accelerated pace that the reconstruction of the main runway has been successfully completed and MiG-29 aircraft have been redeployed, resuming air policing and aircrew training tasks.

The people in the armed forces

The people are the most important for the defence of the country, Defence Atanas Zapryanov said multiple times during the year.

Starting from January 1, 2025, the basic monthly salary for the most junior ranks will be determined each year based on the average salary for the country in the second quarter of the previous year. The basic monthly remuneration will be increased by a coefficient of minimum 1.2 for officers and 1 for officer candidates, sergeants and soldiers. The lowest monthly remuneration of servicemen from January 1, 2025 will range between BGN 2, 300 to BGN 2, 370, Zapryanov said earlier this year.

However, Parliament has not yet adopted the budget for 2025.

We are fighting so that in the new defence budget, regardless of the controversies around it, the salaries of the servicemen will be increased as it is stipulated in the amendments to the Defence and Armed Forces Act, Zapryanov said on December 18 during a traditional videoconference with the national commanders of the Bulgarian military contingents in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.

I assure you that what was decided by the last legislature regarding the income of the servicemen will happen, Defence Chief Emil Eftimov also said. 

In early November, Eftimov said that the decision to raise servicemen's salaries has started to have its effect and was seen at the latest competitions to recruit servicemen.