site.btaBulgaria, France Sign Agreement for Joint Acquisition of 3D Radars

Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu signed an agreement for the joint acquisition of new three-dimensional (3D) radars, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence reported on Monday. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 55th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

On June 11, Zapryanov announced the upcoming agreement during a hearing at the Parliamentary Defence Committee. One day earlier, Bulgaria's Council of Ministers adopted a decision terminating a procedure for the existence of an essential security interest which has to be protected in the cases under Item 2 of Article 149 (1) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) upon the implementation of an investment project for the procurement of new 3D radars. The Government approved the initiation of a new procedure under Article 9 of the PPA for the award of a public procurement jointly with contracting entities from other NATO Member States.

The agreement paves the way for the signing of a procurement order under which Bulgaria will acquire core equipment for seven 3D radars, as well as receive services including personnel training, the Ministry added.

According to Zapryanov, the shift to a government-level agreement with France makes the project eligible for EU co-financing. 

The joint procurement is expected to give access to EU funding instruments such as the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) mechanism aimed at strengthening the European defence industry, and the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through Common Procurement Act.